My Precious Child
by WhalesEverywhere
Summary: One mistake eventually leading to another, Lovino found himself caring for his child alone. As days passes by, he began questioning himself whether he is fit to be a father and then came a Spaniard, pulling him out of his self-doubt. Multi-chapter story. Spamano. Enjoy
1. Chapter 1

**PROLOGUE**

Lovino looked around warily before walking down the pathway towards her house. The first time he had done so, he had taken nearly half an hour, admiring all the flowers and plants that decorated the lovely home. The house seemed so warm and inviting then, that Lovino could not have possibly thought that anything would happen to them. Even to the point of thinking that if their feelings for each other ever progressed to a much higher level, he wouldn't mind it one bit. However, life is a complete bitch. The moment he entered the house, he noticed that something was not right. It was eerily silent.

"Usually her brothers would be running around or something," Lovino muttered under his breath.

All of a sudden, he heard a particular sound much like the flushing of the toilet. Going around the house, he made his way slowly towards the toilet. "Adella? Is that you?"

He edged his hand closer towards the knob when suddenly he heard the sound of someone throwing up. Wincing away, he held his ground. "Adella?"

"Lovino?!" Her voice sounded from behind the door.

"Yea. What's going on? Are you okay?" He grasped the door knob, willing it to open but to no such luck.

"Lovi! Lovi, calm down. I'm okay." She assured him, noticing that her voice sounded clearer as though she was standing right in front of the door.

"Then why aren't you coming out? Adella, what the fuck is going on here?" He scowled.

…

Adella knew how Lovino hated being surprised, no matter it being neither good nor bad. He even hated the very idea of it. Actually, she would rather not face him now. She just wanted to go back to bed and think over what had happened. It had been like every other nights, simply enjoying each other's company which will eventually led to them enjoying rather a bit too much of each other. It was never an issue. They had a rough life and they wanted to get out of it, have a decent outlet for their grief, if you could even consider having sex, decent that is. It wasn't supposed to be anything serious, simply two friends helping each other out. She sighed, regretting every single night they spent together. The more they did it, the more addicted to it she got, much like a drug. She sobbed. She couldn't possibly lie to him forever, so... It's now or never.

Dragging herself up from the floor, she grabbed the item out of the sink.

It's positive.

…

"Lovi, please calm down before I tell you this." She pleaded, her eyes trickling with tears.

Seeing such an expression on her, he figured it would be best to follow her demands. He had never been good at dealing with crying women, so he tends to prevent himself from doing anything that would make them cry in the first place. "I'm calm. So, can you bloody well tell me what's going on?" Lovino questioned, looking at her worriedly.

She hesitated, mouth gaping open and then close over and over again. He could feel his blood starting to boil at every single twitch of her jaw. "Can you just fucking tell me already?" He shouted, no longer able to keep his cool.

"I'm pregnant."

* * *

OKAY! Well... that is done now ain't it? TEEHEE... This one seemed pretty half-assed to me actually because I only decided on this right at the very last minute. I thought of their relationship as more towards the Friends With Benefit type instead of the boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, so after realizing she got pregnant, then they decided to date okay? I wanted this to be longer, showing Lovino's sense of responsibility and consideration towards the girl but, I'm just a lazy bastard~ Teehee. Yes there's no Mpreg. DEAL WITH IT.

Adella is an OC btw. Just saying. BYE BYE

psst... I don't own Hetalia^^


	2. Chapter 2

Hello people^^ I actually wrote this AU fanfic a short while after finishing up my previous fanfic, A Child's Innocence. I know what you're thinking, "What is up with this person and children?!". Yes, I like children but I'm not a paedophile! I just love the thought of bringing children into a story! It seems more realistic and I just find it shooo adorable~ This will be a slightly long story with multi-chapters, which hopefully I will be able to complete. I have already written about 3-5 chapters worth already and probably will change the draft accordingly! I'm reaaaallllyy not into Mpreg, so there will be none whatsoever in this fic. Sorry! Spain will only appear in chapter 3 or so, so you'll just have to wait. Lovino will be slightly OOC, seeing how this involves a child. If you dun like it... well... VAFFANCULO! Teehee joking!

WARNING: Rated T for Lovino's beautiful way of speaking^^.

* * *

The distinct shuffling of feet filled the house, soft padding of paws following eagerly behind. The early morning light shined through the curtained windows, spreading warmth in the small abode.

"Stop following me around, stupid cat." Lovino spoke through gritted teeth as he gently pushed away the cat with his hand, earning a soft mewl of disappointment from the feline.

He ran around the house, putting on his clothes and grabbing his things. It became a habit for him to rush around in the morning to reach his girlfriend's house where he would spend two hours with his child and then off to his job. He made the mistake of getting his girlfriend, Adella, pregnant four years back and had been rushing to and fro from his home, his workplace and Adella's place ever since. At an early age of only 19, they were much too young to think of having a family hence, despite the child that binds them, they are unwilling to get married. They only wanted their relationship to be a fling, to stray away from their lives, but it ended up as a mistake. Lovino decided nonetheless that he would do his job as a father and earn for their living.

Pouring some cat food into a bowl, Lovino started calling out to his small friend. "Spagna! Spagna! Hurry you stupid cat, I'm going to be late!" Lovino shouted.

Some people may wonder as to why he names his cat that to a country, but his answer is relatively simple. The cat is of a Spanish breed, hence, the name Spain. He found the cat only two years back when it was a mere kitten, scrawny and weak on the side of the road. The kitten followed him after Lovino spared it a few small pieces of meat he had on him, enduring through puddles of water that threatened to drown it and the countless number of feet that unintentionally tries to step on it. Fortunately, Lovino found it cowering at the back alley of the cafe he works at, mewing at him with hope twinkling in its eyes. Lovino is widely known as a very cold-hearted and evil man, rumoured to mix in the blood of his victims into his food and thus the wonderful taste of his dishes. Despite him adopting the small feline out of pity and love, he was misunderstood for keeping the cat for unthinkable reasons. Those rumours had been going on for years but it did nothing to the cafe's reputation and instead did the very opposite, therefore Lovino did little to nothing to stop the fiery talk of people around him.

"I should be heading off now. Adella would be pissed if I'm late." The Italian muttered to himself, glancing at his wristwatch every once in awhile.

With a small frown on his lips he slipped on his shoes and opened the door. He froze. "Carmen?" He questioned, seeing the sleeping child on the stroller ahead of him.

"What the flying fuck?" He cried out as he kneeled down to face the child eye-to-eye. Touching her cheek, he found that she had grown abnormally cold.

The stroller she was on was filled with bags and only one cloth was spread on top the seemingly unconscious girl. He hurriedly pulled the stroller into his home and pulled the child gently into his arms. She was shivering, clutching onto the man eagerly for warmth. "Papa?" She mumbled, eyes gradually opening.

"Oh mio dio! You're cold to the bloody bone il mio amore(my love)!" He panicked, brushing through her hair to feel her forehead. She's burning up.

He laid the five year old child gently in front of the fireplace and started the fire, hoping that it would be enough warm her up. He hurriedly placed more blankets on top of the girl. Hearing the entire ruckus from the corner of the living room, the young feline mewed and made his way towards the girl, curling up next to her hoping to keep her company as well as to spread its warmth.

"What in the world were you doing out there?" Lovino whispered to himself, not really hoping for an answer.

Swiftly, he took out his phone from his pocket and dialled the number he knew very well. "Come on Adella, you better have a fucking good reason for this."

"_The number you have dialled is unavailable at the moment_-"

"Fuck this!" He shouted, hitting himself for cursing near a child.

He could no longer deny the boiling of his blood, the urge running through his veins to just hit someone senseless and the need to shout out his anger. What the fuck is going on? After two more futile tries, he decided to call quits and to look through the stroller for any clues. Finally he found what he was looking for, an envelope with beautiful penmanship, Adella's handwriting. He flipped the paper front and back, only seeing the words "_To Lovi" _written in cursive on the front. Taking a deep breath, he tore the envelope open.

_"**Dear Lovi,**  
_

**_I know you're angry but please try to understand. I really, really want to get this off my  
_****_chest_****_, so please. Take a deep breath and calm down before you continue reading this.  
_**

**_I'm actually dating someone. He's a very nice guy, you'll love him! But I bet after reading  
_****_this, you wouldn't even care if he's good or bad. Anyway, I'm actually on a plane by the  
_****_time you're reading this. He invited me to study abroad after I told him I'm into designing.  
_****_I know you had never approved of me designing, saying that it doesn't secure a future for me,  
_****_but I really want to try! And I won't know if I don't try... Right, Lovi? That's what you  
_****_always say to me. I know. I know, you're probably cussing your head off right now but  
_****_please, I want to reach my dream just as you have. You've already become a chef, so now  
give me the chance to become what I want to be.  
_**

**_I hope you can take care of Carmen. I've placed all of her clothing and food inside _****_which will  
last a few weeks so, I hope you won't be angry with me for long. Who knows? _****_She might  
even stop your indecent cursing.  
_**

**_I'm sorry but, please don't look for me. In truth, I never wanted her. I would have gone for  
an abortion_****_ if you weren't there to stop me. Please don't involve my family in this. This is  
_****_my _****_choice, mine alone and you have no right to get angry with them. You'll be a great father,  
she loves you. _****_I know giving her to you will be the best choice I have ever made after I  
got pregnant with her. So _****_please take care of her. I know I'm asking for too much but please,  
give me the chance to live my life._**

**_I'm sorry._**

_**Adella**"_

Clenching and unclenching his fists, he could feel the blood rushing to his head as his heart started pounding mercilessly against his chest. That stupid bitch! How could she just leave her daughter on the doorstep, in the cold, just so she could go gallivanting with her affair! He was practically fuming. Holding onto the wall in his fit of anger so that he wouldn't mindlessly storm to the airport and punch her and her affair right on their damned faces. Filling his head with grotesque images of her and her mysterious affair being beaten to a pulp, enjoying the imaginary feeling it had on his hands.

"Papa?" A soft voice called out to him, pulling him out of his sickening thoughts. He shouldn't be thinking that way, Lovino thought as he shook the images away. He has to be a good role-model for his child.

"Carmen?" He answered, turning towards the fireplace where he left her to warm up. As he rounded the corner, he found her struggling to sit up. "Don't sit up bella mia (my beautiful one), go rest. You're having a fever."

"I'm not sick," She pouted cutely, making the man chuckle.

"Don't deny it." Lovino softly whispered, and gently picked the child up, awakening the small cat. "Come on, papa will take care of you."

"Mama said Carmen is living with papa. Is it true?" She stared at the man, her soft brown eyes looking up excitedly completely missing the dark expression on his face that appeared for only a split-second.

With a small burst of laughter, Lovino nodded his head. "Si, you'll be living with me. Are you excited?"

"Si! Papa cooks better than mama!" She giggled, placing her forehead on his shoulder.

Lovino gave her a smile and placed her gently on his bed. "Carmen, papa is going to get you some medicine and papa will be right back okay?" Lovino explained, tucking her in.

"Okay papa!" She grinned, her eyes already partially closed.

"Dormire bene il mio angelo." (Sleep well my little angel)

* * *

Did Lovino seem to sadistic? Sorry, rest assured, he is NOT a psychopath! hehe! Anyways, I don't speak Italian so please don't be afraid to correct it! I'll be more than willing to learn the correct words^^ Please review! Teehee~ BYE BYE

psst... I don't own hetalia!^^


	3. Chapter 3

Hello hello^^ I want to clear up some things that may be of some misunderstanding.

#1 - Carmen speaking both Spanish and Italian.  
= Well... I wanted her to be able to speak both languages as well since most likely that each of her parents will be speaking to her in their own native tongue every once in awhile right? But she'll speak more Spanish than Italian most of the time since her mother took care of her longer than Lovino. So.. Yea.

#2 - Slightly confusin plotline maybe.  
= Hey, I don't write these type of stories often! I'm a sucker for cliche love stories so, I'm pretty much new to these types of genre.

OKAY! that's all maybe ahahah. Please correct me if I wrote any wrong Italian or Spanish words. Not one of my language so please feel free to tell me. Enjoy~

* * *

Carmen is a beautiful mix between her mother, who is Spanish and Lovino who is Italian, being only slightly tanned with hazel-green eyes. However, like her mother she has a wavy set of hair and a small curl on the right of her head much like her father. Thus she has a beautiful touch of both her mother as well as her father. Lovino simply loves her like no other. Sadly, his love for her mother is unbelievably little to none. Like was stated before, their relationship was supposed to be a simple fling with no strings attached. It took him long until Carmen was born to actually love their child. Seeing how the baby first smiled at him with such innocence and looks at him with no judgement in her eyes, it melted his heart. Yes now, his supposedly cold heart immediately warms at the mention of his daughter's name.

...

He appeared right in front of the pharmacy. A business opened by one of his very few friends, a Belgian girl named Laura. She is a very sweet young women, understanding and warm. She had never judged Lovino through his words and instead through his actions, not including the inadequate gestures and the acts of violence of course. She has a brother, Tim, whose opinions about Lovino was... Let's just say the two just can't get along well.

"Lovino! Welcome! What brings you here?" Laura greeted him cheerfully along with the soft chimes of a bell that announced his coming. "You never visit me!"

"Ciao, Laura." Lovino gave her a small but warm smile. Only two people could make him smile that way, one is his "bella mia" (My beautiful one) and secondly, women. He was raised to treat women nicely and sweetly, even though the whole event with Adella might be a mistake he made against that particular value he has but in a nutshell, he treats other women like he would a flower.

"Hello!" She grinned, leaning forward against the counter.

"Can I have some medicine for fever? Carmen seems to have gotten it." Lovino asked with a voice so sweet and gentle. No guy could ever hear that kind of tone from him, he thought with a small laugh.

"Oh my, Little Carmen is sick?" She questioned, her face painted in worry which then slowly smoothens out into a smile. "Don't worry. Kids fall sick all the time, it's almost their job!"

With a small chuckle, he nodded his head in agreement. "Here you go!" She placed some bottles of medicinal syrups on the counter and grinned as she explained the directions of every single bottle.

"Grazie belle," (Thank you beautiful) Lovino smiled as he handed her the money.

"Oh stop with your flirting!" She giggled nonetheless and walked him to the door.

...

Making his way home, he found himself thinking about Adella. He could never forgive her for what she had done. She should have called him beforehand, only god knows how long Carmen had been out there in the cold. Then, his thoughts went to his job. He sighed. He dared hope that he could have a day off, seeing how it would be bad to leave Carmen alone when she's sick. He would have to call Carmen's kindergarten as well to inform them of her absence. Things will be tough from now on. Now he would have to juggle between his job and taking care of his child. Probably his brother, Feliciano would be able to care for Carmen while he's at work if he can't take leave. A small grunting noise could be heard from his mouth, a sudden tapping of feet amidst the walking, and distinct fidgeting of his hands. A nasty habit when he has no available outlet for his frustration.

"Ah fuck it!" Lovino suddenly shouted out, earning angered mutterings and a few dirty looks from the people around him. He simply ignored them and continued on walking towards his home.

...

Entering his home noiselessly, he stalked his way into his bedroom, whispering softly. "Carmen?"

"Si, estoy bien despierto papa." (Yes, I'm wide awake papa) The girl sat up, stroking the mewling cat. "España kept me company the whole way!"

"Why aren't you asleep?" Lovino questioned, eyeing her in mock anger.

"I wasn't sleepy," She pouted, grabbing the cat and hiding behind it. Lovino might have imagined it but for a split second there, he thought that the cat had shown a very confused expression. A small timid "meow" and its head cocked to the side to further complicate the distinction between reality and imagination.

With a sigh, he sat on the bed next to the child. "Well then, might as well get some food in you." He smiled as he rummaged through the bag he held in his hand. He took out a forehead cooling pad and peeled off the wrapping. He then proceeded to brush away the girl's fringe away and finally stuck it onto her forehead.

"Go get some shut eye for awhile. I'll wake you up for breakfast." He smiled and gave her a small peck on the forehead.

With a small nod, she quickly fell into a deep slumber. It seemed as though she was waiting for him to get home, but he simply pushed it away. She's asleep now, that's all that matters. He quickly made his way into his kitchen, thinking of a perfect recipe for the sick. She would obviously want something that requires less chewing, so probably a soup? He saw this new recipe on the internet, Rosemary Tomato Leek Soup, and it seems like a good idea so he sought out the ingredients in his kitchen. Smiling the moment he placed everything at the ready, he began cooking. Being as cranky and serious as he is, his only outlet of stress relief other than having sex with Adella previously, was cooking. Whenever he cooks, his scowl drew into a small smile. His brother is talented in many things such as art, socializing and literally being fucking happy all the time. Heck... That HAS to be a talent since nobody could be that fucking happy all the time. Anyway, after knowing how much better he is at cooking than his brother, he pursued it eagerly.

...

After allowing the soup to simmer, he stepped away from the kitchen and grabbed the phone, dialling the number to the cafe he works at. "Bonjour! 'Soup and Tea Leaf' here."

"Ciao, you perverted bastard."

"Ah, mon sieur Lovino! Why are you calling so early in the morning mon cher?"

"Stop calling me that you stupid pervert! Anyway, do you think I can take a day off today?"

"Hmmm? A day off? Why ever so? You have never asked for a day off before, not even when you were sick! Now that, was a very funny day. So anyways, what happened?"

"My daughter has a fucking fever. So I can't possibly leave her alone at home."

"Oh so you decided to live with your girlfriend huh? Ohonhonhon!"

"Shut the fuck up you damn pervert and no, s-she asked me to take care of her for awhile."

"Okay okay. You've worked hard these past few weeks, so I'll give you at least three days off. Seem fair to you mon chéri? I'll make dear Alfred do all the dirty work then! Hopefully your child will be okay by then."

"G-Grazie. Ciao..., perverted bastard."

"No problem. Au revoir!"

Giving off a deep sigh, Lovino picked up the phone once more. "And now the kindergarten," Lovino sighed.

"Hello, Sunshine Kindergarten?"

"Si, how may I help you?"

He sounds Spanish, Lovino thought. He frowned. Not that he has anything against him being Spanish or anything. He just found this Spaniard's voice a wee bit too cheery for his liking. He could possibly be the second most cheerful person in this world, a follow up to his stupid younger brother of course. Shaking his head from these thoughts, Lovino continued on speaking.

"I want to inform you that my child, Carmen Almarez Vargas is currently sick so she won't be coming to class for a few days."

"Oh! Carmen? Muy bien (Very well), I hope she gets well then! Thank you for informing us!"

"Okay. Bye."

Lovino shook his head in annoyance with how awkward he ended that call. He tried to ignore the heat rising to his cheeks and stood up with a huff. Why must that person sound so cheery? Lovino scowled.

* * *

So...Yea. He appeared a short while here^^ He's appearance will be...hmm let me see... the chapter after the next chapter^^ I'll most likely be updating a chapter a day for the already written chapters I have. Once I've used up all that I've already written, I'll most likely update a lot slower... So.. Yea I'm done talking. BYE BYE

psst... I don't own hetalia^^


	4. Chapter 4

Hello hello~ This chapter is longer than the previous two cause I just can't separate this chapter into two. Hehe.. Enjoy. Lovino went slightly emotional here so... Enjoy!

WARNING: Rated T for Lovino's beautiful choice of words. Oh heck I don't need to warn you guys, it's pretty much expected.

* * *

He made his way towards the kitchen to check on the soup he placed to simmer and saw that it's just about done. Emptying half of the soup and purée into a blender, he blended them until smooth. Pouring it back into the saucepan, he mixed the soup only slightly with cream. Lovino smiled, plenty happy with the dish he had just made. Pouring it into two separate bowls, he placed them onto the table alongside the two pepper and salt shakers as well as the needed cutleries. Finally, he went back into the kitchen and decided to make some peppermint tea, said to be able to help feverish children. When all said has been done, he made his way back into his room. His daughter sprawled on the bed, unable to take up even half of the bed as she laid there.

"Carmen?" Lovino whispered as he climbed onto the space next to her.

Hearing his voice, she turned towards him and started some unintelligible mumbling making the man next to her chuckle with laughter. "Come on, you've got to eat and then you can eat your medicine."

"Okay papa." She mumbled half-asleep, holding out her arms towards the man.

Pulling her into his arms, he carried her down to their dining table. "It's soup," He informed her, placing her down gently on a chair and dragged it closer to the table.

She leaned forward and gave a sniff. Smiling at her father, she took a quick sip at the soup. "Tomato soup!" She squealed with joy, grinning from ear to ear.

"Is it good?" Lovino comb through her hair with his hands sweetly, not wanting to disturb her from her food.

"Si!" She smiled.

"Good. Drink up as well, it's said to be good for your fever," Lovino sat across from her the moment she nodded her head, eager to try the soup as well.

Feeling unwell, Carmen just couldn't finish her breakfast and was sent straight to bed after taking her medicine. It wasn't often Lovino was able to see her vulnerable since he is only able to see her for two hours a day and on Sundays, when they are able to spend time with each other, she would already be well once more. In actual fact, he had wanted to take her in years ago instead of leaving her with her mother. However he had been so busy with work that the thought of having Spain alone was hard enough.

As she fell asleep on his bed, Lovino stepped towards the living room to take a rest, landing on the couch with as little noise as possible. It had been such a long time since he had a break, he thought sullenly. For the past five years, all he had thought about was to work hard and to earn enough money to support their child, fuck what other people think. Now..., now he would have to think of so many other things. He felt so stupid, how could he have possibly thought that the situation they were in was good enough? How could he have possibly thought that everything would last?

Shit. He felt like crying. Suddenly his train of thoughts derailed and brought him to Adella. Replaying all that happened once more in his head, he frowned. She has an affair, she left the country without telling him, she left their child on his doorstep in the cold, and most importantly, she left the two of them alone. What will he tell Carmen if she asks? How will she cope without a mother? He felt sick. How could she do this to her own child just because this was all a mistake?

But for now, how will HE cope? He will have to go to the restaurant at 8 and then come back to send Carmen to kindergarten at 10. How will he manage that? He would have to be at two places at once.

A soft mew pulled him out of his depressing thoughts. Spain simply sat on the floor where his head lay on the couch. It pounced gently on the couch and made its way on top of Lovino. The cat seemingly grinned and licked away the tears that slid down the Italian's cheeks, giving a few mewls of reassurances.

"You stupid cat." Lovino chuckled, wiping away the weird mix of cat saliva and tears off his cheeks. "You're right. I kept you and everything is alright still, so what's the fucking difference now?"

"Except that Carmen is a human child." Lovino muttered, eyes watering once more.

All of a sudden, the whole house echoed with a loud consistent ring causing an unfortunate cat to fly off the couch and a certain Italian to dash for the phone. "Ciao?" Lovino panted.

"Nii-san!"

"Bloody fuck Feli, didn't I tell you to stop using that fucking language?" Lovino shouted, instantly clamping his mouth seconds after.

"Scusa Fratello! Ve~, by the way, I heard from Francis you have a day off today!"

"Yea and why the fuck do you keep calling me at work anyways?"

"Ve~, Fratello! Are you sick? Why didn't you tell me? Ve~, I could stop by and cook for you or something while you rest! Luddy is busy today so I'm pretty much-,"

"Can you shut up for at least one minute?" Lovino begged, gritting his teeth. The sound "Ve" practically repeating itself in his head like a mantra. "I'm not sick. Carmen's got a fever."

"Ve~! Carmen? Why is she sick?"

"I'll tell you later so do you think you can come over? I need to discuss with you about something."

Hearing the serious tone of Lovino's voice and the lack of cursing, Feliciano began to wonder what it could all possibly be. "Okay fratello. So I'll come over when Luddy gets home!"

"Don't you fucking dare bring-!"

"Ciao!"

Click. The phone line went dead, leaving a very pissed Italian. Instead of the usual beautiful string of cusses he would sing out, he gave off a deep sigh. Something he had been doing a lot that day.

"I hope Feliciano will be able to help me out."

...

For dinner that day, Lovino decided to keep it nice and simple. Porridge mixed in with leek and chicken slices, accompanied with a soothing herbal tea. The table all set up, he made his way towards the room.

"Carmen, il mio amore?" (Carmen, my love?) Lovino called out, only to find her sleeping peacefully on the bed.

A part of him wanted to just let the child sleep on, seeing the angelic look on her face. However, common sense won over, she needs her medicine and it's better to take it with a filled stomach. So, Lovino gently sat on the bed next to the child and combed through her hair. "Carmen, wake up."

"Papa?" She opened her eyes heavily, sitting up sluggishly.

"Come on, you should come eat dinner. Then you can go back to sleep okay?" Lovino explained soothingly, helping her up.

"Okay." She answered groggily, placing her forehead on the man's shoulder.

"By the way, your uncle is coming here soon to visit you." Lovino told her, holding her closely as he continuously massaged her back.

"Uncle Feli?" Her eyes widened and lifted her head off his shoulder. Her lips formed a large grin as she stared at him with anticipation in her eyes. "He's coming to meet me?"

"Yea, so come on, let's go have dinner first." Lovino gave her a warm smile and brought her towards the dining table.

...

Dinner was uneventful. The two of them ate in silence as Lovino thought through the things he would have to do after she gets well. He still fears it though, the moment she asks why her mother left. Why her mother will never come back to get her. What can he possibly say to her? She found a new man? She didn't want you? He sighed. He never thought that keeping Carmen would be such a big deal for the women. How in the world could she ever think of abortion in the first place? Questions filled his head, threatening to explode at any moment. He felt weak and pathetic. How could he have caused all this to happen? His grandfather was right, he is worthless.

"Papa?"

All he could ever think of was how he failed to realize the consequences of his actions. If only he had thought twice about having that fling. If only he had thought twice about their relationship. If only he had thought twice aout keeping this child.

"Papa!"

His attention was drawn back towards the child, lips frowning in question. "Si, bella mia?"

"There's someone at the door." She answered with a questioning look on her face.

Suddenly it hit him, the constant ringing of the doorbell. He shot up from his seat and ran towards the door. "How the fuck did I not hear that?" He muttered to himself as he peered out of window on the door, seeing his younger brother waving to him cheerfully with his stupid potato-bastard husband, Ludwig Beilschimdt.

His brother is a simple-minded man. The moment he realized he had feelings for the German, which didn't take very long mind you, he stuck by it and confessed right away. Being the good bastard that he is, Ludwig doesn't deny his feelings and accepted his confession. Of course Lovino was quick to disapprove of their relationship, but ignorance was pure bliss in Feliciano's situation. They started dating way before the whole Lovino getting Adella pregnant fiasco, hence shining the beautiful spotlight on Feliciano still. Feliciano had always been the favourite amongst the two, an aspiring artist with a lovable personality. The twin's personalities are much like black and white, each of them nothing like the other. Going off on a tangent here, the German bastard proposed to his much beloved younger brother two years back. Lovino was perplexed to see them eager to marry at such a young age, but what does that matter to idiots like them? Despite Lovino's utmost disapproval, they were able to change his mind and in addition, they were able to make an agreement that Lovino is not allowed to talk trash of the man whenever he is anywhere around him. How they were able to do that, Lovino still wonders till this day. So, they were happily married a year back.

...

"Ve~! Fratello!" Feliciano greeted as he entered the house, instantly wrapping his arms around then older man. "Nice to see you again!'

"Yea, it's been awhile. Can you let me go now?" Lovino muttered after responding to the hug only slightly. After feeling the thin arms unwrap itself, he turned towards the other guest with a sardonic look on his face. "Ludwig."

Clearing his throat slightly, the said man nodded his head awkwardly. "Lovino."

"Uncle Feli! Uncle Luddy!" Carmen shouted from across the hallway, slowly making her way towards the three.

"Oh il mio bellissimo angioletto!" (Oh my beautiful angel!) Feliciano cried out, pulling her into his arms.

"Hello Carmen." Ludwig greeted warmly, patting her head gently.

With a small chuckle, the child embraced the two tightly. "It's been so long!" She grinned.

"We should let her finish her dinner. Carmen, come eat!" Lovino called out with a small smile on his lips. "There's more in the kitchen."

"Si papa!" The child shouted back as she was placed on the floor once more, rushing back to where her father sat at the dining table.

"Ve~! Smells delicious! Shall we join in?" Feliciano turned around to face his lover, eyes shining with joy.

"Ja. No matter how unbearable your brother is, his cooking is not to be denied." The German smiled, following the smaller man towards the kitchen.

...

After dinner, they decided to stay and talk around in the living room. Carmen was at first unwilling to go to sleep however, minutes after, she was barely conscious. "Such a silly child," Lovino muttered with a smile as he brought her to their room. With a small kiss on the forehead, she was off to la-la-land.

Lovino frowned, thinking about the upcoming topic he was about to bring up. Feliciano is his brother, and he deserves to know other than the fact that he needs his help with taking care of Carmen while he's out at work. Finally, he trudged down to the living room where his brother and his brother's husband sat. "Ve~! Is Carmen asleep?"

"Yea." He muttered, slumping down on then chair opposite of the mushy couple.

"Ve~! Fratello, what's wrong?" His brother questioned, eyebrows creased in worry. It doesn't suit his face one bit to look that worried, but sadly, what Lovino was about to say will not help one bit.

"A-Actually," Lovino gulped, hesitating for a slight moment. What if his brother doesn't want to help? What if because of this his situation, they would think of him as a bad parent? What if they deemed him unreliable?

"Fratello?"

Lovino looked up to see worried expressions on both their faces. No, I must not think this way, Lovino thought. This is all for Carmen.

"I actually have a favour to ask of you guys." Lovino started with a voice low and hesitant.

"What is it? Ve~ Do you need some money?"

"No. I-,"

"Ve~, then? Do you need help finding a lover?"

"No Feli, that's not-,"

"We have tons of friends if that's what you want."

"Honey, I don't think that's the favour he's asking for. Why don't we hear him out first, ja?" Ludwig interrupted the younger Italian, seeing the steady growth of Lovino's scowl and the vein threatening to burst, pulsing on the top of his head. It would be bad to have a screaming Italian such as Lovino in a sick child's home.

"Oh, okay then!" Feliciano grinned, nodding in agreement.

"Well..., can you take care of Carmen while I go off to work?" Lovino asked, his hands fidgeting when suddenly he blurted out. "Just until I find a babysitter for her,"

"Ve~? Why? I thought Adella is taking care of her? Wait, why is Carmen at your house now anyway?" Feliciano questioned, genuinely confused.

Lovino hesitated. Should he show them the letter? With a small sigh, Lovino reached out towards the drawer in the side table on his right, pulling out the letter from earlier that morning. Without saying anything, he held out the letter towards the couple. Ludwig took it and held it out for the two of them to read, their eyes scanning through the letters slowly and carefully. It was weird seeing their facial expressions change from that of confusion to disgust. Did he look that way earlier? Probably not. He was angry the whole time, so it couldn't be that much of a drastic change in expressions. What could they possibly be thinking of now? Lovino mused. They probably thinking that I'm such a failure for allowing all this to happen. Finally, their eyes dragged heavily off the paper, settling on the man ahead of them. Their mouths were wide with shock yet their eyes cringing in disgust and disbelief. Silence lay heavy in the air, none of them knowing what to say or do. With a worried gaze and slightly quivering hands, Feliciano decided to break through the cold silence.

"Is this real?" He questioned, staring once more at the black ink of the words on the paper.

"No, I decided to kidnap the child and forge that whole fucking thing up to save my sorry ass. Of course it's real dumbass," Lovino seethed, combing through his hand with a small huff of frustration but then looked at his brother apologetically nonetheless.

"When did you receive this?" Ludwig spoke up, holding the pouting man next to him closely.

"This morning. That bitch left her out in the cold this morning! No calls, no messages, nothing! I opened the door and there Carmen is, freezing! How could she fucking do that to her own child? She should have called me first!" Lovino shouted, his words filled with so much anger and venom that it made his little brother cringe.

"Calm down Lovino, it would be bad if the little one wakes up." Ludwig stood, pulling the man onto his seat allowing Feliciano to hold onto him dearly.

With a weary gaze, Lovino settled in, agreeing with the man which in itself is a very rare occurrence. "Like she fucking said, she only left out her clothes and some food in the bags." Lovino muttered none too calmly as he pointed to the bags lying at one corner of the room.

"Ve~ so how are you going to do this now fratello?" Feliciano questioned softly, looking at the man worriedly. "You even had trouble taking care of Spagna."

At the mention of his name, the cat perked up and made his way towards the two Italians. Purring cutely as it grazed the hem of Lovino's pants. "Get up here you stupid cat." Lovino muttered, patting his thighs. With a soft mew, the cat jumped up onto him and nuzzled his nose on Lovino's cheek.

"I-I don't know. I was kinda hoping that you guys will be able to help me. At least until I find a decent babysitter." Lovino suggested, not allowing himself to look into their eyes for the fear that they might not want to help. "I have work from 8 to 6, and Carmen has kindergarten from 10 to 1. So I can only pick her up after 6."

Daring himself to look up, he saw the two looking at each other questioningly. Finally, their silent discussion ended with a smile on their lips. "Ofcourse! Ve~ I'd love to look after il mio angelo prezioso!" (my precious angel) Feliciano giggled with happiness.

"We've been thinking about adopting, and who knows, this might help us warm up to the idea." Ludwig explained with a warm smile on his lips.

Placing his face on the palm of his hands, Lovino kept silent. "Lovino?"

It took everything in him to hold it in but he couldn't. Tears started staining his hands, threatening to drip out of the cracks between his fingers. "Thank you." It was as though a huge burden was lifted off of his shoulders, finally allowing him to breathe. It's a wonder to him, how by simply talking to his younger brother, a huge problem could be solved.

"It's no problem Fratello. Take as much time as you need." Feliciano muttered softly, holding onto the crying man with as much love as he could muster.

"You're not alone here."

* * *

Okay~ Done with this chapter! Please feel free to correct any wrong Spanish or Italian words/sentences I use ahaha. well... Okay then.. BYE BYE

psst... I don't own Hetalia^^


	5. Chapter 5

Hello hello^^ It's actually 00:10 currently in my country so I'm not exactly on time with my update^^ TEEHEE! I'm sorry but oh, stop your complaining! It's up already. I'm sorry if it turns out confusing. Hehe! I've always like Amerimano, okay maybe not as a couple but as friends^^ I don't know why, but the chemistry the two seem to have in other fanfics just... captivates me^^ Since I like UsUk as well, I'll stick them inside this fanfic sooner or later AHAHHA!

Anyways~ Enjoy!

WARNING: ...Oh you know why!

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Even though the fever spiked at night, in the morning, it disappeared as though it was never there in the first place. It was only a slight fever so it didn't take long for it to calm. Lovino was glad really, but he still told her to stay home to rest just in case. If everything goes well, he'll allow her to go to school the next day. Since he has a day off for three whole days, he decided to spend it all with his child, thinking that he might as well make the best out of it. The day ended nice and simple, they took a small walk along the garden at the back of his house, which Lovino never failed to tend to at the end of the day and Lovino cooked all her favourite dishes. When night time arrived, Carmen fell asleep easily. Seeing that Carmen is well enough, he decided that she is able to go to school the next day.

"Carmen? Wake up." Lovino grumbled, clearly half asleep still. "Carmen."

"Buon giorno papa," She answered, rubbing her eyes with lazy limbs.

"Let's go take a bath. Freshen ourselves up." Lovino suggested lazily, stifling back a yawn.

With a small nod they made their way towards the bathroom. It was a silent morning and without the need to rush about, Lovino was surprisingly calm. After bathing, he wore his casual clothes and did the laundry while Carmen took her time to dress up. He was undeniably relaxed as he made breakfast and packed lunch for his daughter. Finishing their simple breakfast, Lovino decided that they should go on a walk before making their way towards her school.

"Do you really feel better now? Are you sure? If you feel sick, you have to tell papa." Lovino asked as he saw her carry her small, petite bag.

"Don't worry papa!" She answered with a huff, puffing up one side of her cheeks. She then turned around to face her father with a large grin on her face. "Anyways, mama doesn't bring me out much so going out with papa is fun!"

"She doesn't bring you out?" Lovino frowned. His impression on the woman seemingly grew worse and worse as days passed by.

"She says parks and playgrounds are very dangerous, so it's troublesome." She nodded her head knowingly, remembering the words her mother had told her before.

Lovino scowled, his hand tightening around the girl's ever so slightly. Telling a child that parks are dangerous just because she's such a lazy bitch, I should have taken Carmen from her long ago, Lovino thought to himself. "Papa, are you angry?" Her voice called out to him, pulling him out of his dark thoughts.

"Angry?"

"You look scary."

"It's nothing." He smiled, hoping that she would not pursue the matter. "Now, what should we do? Do you want to go to the playground? It's not dangerous if I'm there."

"Si! Let's go!" She threw her fist upwards with a wide grin on her face. "Vamos! (Let's go!) Go! Go!"

Giving a small chuckle, they ran towards the nearby playground a few minutes away from the kindergarten. Placing the bags at a corner where he could easily look at, she rushed off towards the swing. "Is this one fun?" She looked at the man questioningly.

"Si. Go sit down. I'll help push," He smiled.

They spent the rest of the hour there, allowing Carmen to try out new things. It was enjoyable for the two of them before Lovino realized that they should be heading off towards her school then. Letting her drink up from her bottle, hydrating herself, they finally moved off. It didn't take long to reach there, only 5 minutes, give and take.

Soon they saw a man, only slightly older than him greeting the children as they entered. He had a mop of curly brown lock of hair that twirls into many different directions with amazing emerald eyes that seemed to twinkle under the sun. The man wore a yellow apron over a red shirt. His sleeves folded above his elbows and he also wore dark blue jeans. He seemed unbelievably friendly and inviting, a fitting trait for a kindergarten teacher.

"Mr Carriedo!" Carmen called out gleefully, running up to the man and hugging his legs.

"¡Hola Carmen! I see you're well today!" He grinned back, leaning down and hugging the girl cheerfully.

Then it struck Lovino that that is the man who answered his call two days back, the same cheery voice that could probably expel all the evil in the world by a single word. Feeling heat rushing to his cheeks for no apparent reason, Lovino decided to look away from the Spaniard.

"Si! Papa took care of me!" Carmen gleamed. Obviously, she was proud to be able to say something like that.

"Your papa?" The man questioned, finally noticing the man near them. "Oh I'm sorry! I didn't notice you."

Lovino trusted himself to talk, lips forming his usual frown. It wouldn't do him good if the man assumes wrongly. "It's okay. So, you're her teacher?"

"Si! I'm Antonio Fernandez Carriedo!" The Spaniard held out his hand. It would be bad to show Carmen any bad manners at such a young age. So, Lovino took his hand and hesitantly shook it. The man's rough and calloused hand felt gentle and warm in his.

"Lovino Vargas."

"Nice to meet you..., Lovi!"

He frowned. What did the man just call him? That is the same name Adella used to call him..., before she ran off with that fucker. Just by hearing that nickname, he could feel his blood boiling. It reminded him too much of that woman, that fucking woman. If it were any other normal situations, Lovino would have already met the man's cheek with his fist but Carmen is near him, so he has no other choice but to unwillingly shrug it away."Yea, you too."

Lovino knelt down next to the child and combed through her hair gently. "You should get to class. Remember your manners and have fun, okay?"

"Okay papa!" She grinned and waved him goodbye. "Come on Mr Carriedo! Let's go!"

"Ah, si! See you around Lovi!" Antonio called out before turning around to follow the eager child.

Lovino could not make up his mind whether he likes that man or not. He seems like a good man, reliable and trustworthy, but that man is simply TOO friendly.

"Lovi." He scoffed. "You've got to be fucking joking me."

...

He couldn't stop thinking about what that man had just called him. Was he really that affected by the whole ordeal to be pissed just by being called that? A stupid reason such as, "My ex-girlfriend used to call me that." Well.., seeing what she had just put him through the past couple of days, I guess he should be allowed these moments of anger.

Lovino frowned, not wanting to think about her on his day off. He's supposed to be relaxing, not thinking about a bitch that nearly ruined his life when suddenly, an image of a man popped up inside his head. Antonio. He seemed like a very kind man, he would gladly entrust him to take care of his child anytime. Now that he thought about it, the man actually looked quite undeniably attractive.

"I did not just think that." Lovino muttered to himself, stopping right in the middle of the pathway. "N-No, h-he's not handsome. He's just... He's just, good-looking. A straight man complimenting another, it's not weird. Not weird at all!"

He was lucky that he was the only one at that current area. If not, he could safely assume that people would think that he was crazy. He started again, blushing madly as he tried to force out the image of the man out of his head, of the man smiling with his unbelievably attractive, striking green eyes. Lovino hurriedly shook his head.

"No, no, no, no! I'm straight. I made a fucking woman pregnant, I have a child. Yes, I wasn't thinking about that guy in any other bloody way!" Lovino frowned, that was one positive thought about his current situation. "Fuck this."

Then, the image changed into that of the Spaniard talking to his child so cheerfully like she was his very own. He felt a strange irregularity in his chest. Why? Why does he feel this way? Now it hit him, during all those years he had seen his child with her mother, Adella had never looked at her that way before. She had never loved Carmen, her own child..., but a mere stranger. A mere stranger could look at her with such parental love in his eyes. Is that why he felt such an attraction towards the man? Is it because he thought that that is how Adella should be? Or does he envy the man? No. Does he think that if Carmen had been Antonio's, she would live a better life? Well, he slightly does, but that isn't the problem now. What could this feeling he have be? Respect? Admiration? There are so many questions for only one problem. So..., could there be more than one answer then?

"I don't get it." Lovino scowled. "I need to fucking relax."

His legs took him to the only place he knew he could relax, the cafe. As he pushed the door open, soft chimes of the bell announced his entry. "Oh, hey grumpy!" A familiar voice called out to him. Turning to face the man, he saw the American waving enthusiastically from across the cafe, earning a few giggles and smiles from the female customers.

"Shut the fuck up Alfred, and didn't we tell you to stop shouting from across the cafe?" Lovino scowled. "And stop calling me stupid names from those stupid fucking fairytale movies that you watch."

"Hey, snow white is not stupid." The American pouted and threw his arms around the Italian. "And aren't you supposed to be on a day off today?"

"Yea, but my child's in school. So I might as well come see how fucking bad you are at handling all this." Lovino smirked, pushing away the arm defiantly.

"Hey man, it's freaking hard work! Frenchie there had been complaining non-stop without you here," Alfred explained, gesturing towards the kitchen with his head.

"Alfred! Get to work!" Another man popped out from behind the kitchen doors. "Oh Arthur mon cher ami!"

"Well speak of the devil." Alfred whispered with a joking look on his face as he twirled back to face the customers. "Okay okay! No rest for the hero!"

"Mon sieur Lovino! What brings you here mon ami?" Francis grinned wearily. Lovino had always been in charge of preparing the food while the two of them handles the customer, Francis having an additional work of having to handle the rowdy American as well, and since he's on a day off, Francis had to handle the cooking as they know very well that the moment the American enters the kitchen, only burgers shall come out of it.

"Carmen's at school. So I thought I might come here to relax." Lovino smirked, seeing the distressed look on the Frenchman's face as Alfred once again slips up an order. "I see you're doing very, very well indeed."

"Don't joke about it, s'il vous plaît mon ami. (Please my friend)." Francis sighed. "Since you're free, can you please help us out?"

"I've got about two hours and a half. I'm not sure whether I want to waste it on that." Lovino deadpanned, forcing down the laughter that threatens to escape his lips. However, seeing the exasperated look on the man's face, Lovino just doesn't have the heart to turn him down. "Fine fine. I'll help with serving but no groping ever again. Get it perverted bastard?"

"Oui, oui! Merci beaucoup Lovino!" Francis came over and hugged the man, his hands grabbing the Italian's ass.

"I thought we already agreed on no groping you freak!" Lovino grumbled, his voice muffled through the man's clothes, trying his very hardest to push the man away.

...

Two hours and a half passed by quickly, trying to correct Alfred's mistakes as well as trying not to pick a fight with any of the customers. He didn't have time to even think about Adella and Carmen and all that mess. It's a perfect distraction.

"Seriously some of them are fucking assholes, I swear to god." Lovino grumbled as he placed the tray back onto the counter.

"Really? They all seem nice to me." Alfred grinned, leaning next to the man. "Probably because they know they're facing a hero."

"Shut the fuck up." Lovino muttered as he punched the man on the shoulder.

"Ouch man! That hurts!" Alfred whined, clutching his abused arm. He then stole a glance at the clock and nudged the man beside him. "Isn't it time for you to pick your child up bro?"

"Oh yea. Okay, I'm off." Lovino threw off his apron and walked towards the door, noticing an old man looking at him with a pissed look on his face only to be answered with a simple flipping him the bird by dear Lovino. That is why he works inside the kitchen.

* * *

Yay! Chapter 4 of the story is done... As many of you had been waiting for, the next Chapter shall be in Antonio's POV! Teehee. Please feel free to correct me, and review if you have the time~ Give meh tha motivation~ ahahahah BYE BYE

psst... I don't own Hetalia^^


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry for the long wait guys. Apparently I wasn't satisfied with what I had already wrote for this chapter so I had to rewrite everything. I had been sick the past few days and I simply had no motivation to continue it. (Whenever I lack motivation, don't ever expect anything from me~) Anyways, here is the fifth chapter and it is in Antonio's POV! Wooo, so many of you had been waiting for his full appearance eh? I've got a few things planned for Lovino and Antonio so, yea... I wonder if some of you had guessed it already^^ I won't let Antonio interact with Lovino until the next few chapters so bear with me and there isn't any curse words here unless you count "Idiot" as one.

This chapter is dedicated to all the people who much awaited Antonio's appearance~ So I'm sorry if I didn't reply you **animeluvv679 **and thank you **liechtybakaribbon **for reviewing so many times! I hope you guys will like this chapter.

Yeap yeap, enough of my talking and much unnecessary excuses, please enjoy.

* * *

The moment he stepped inside the building and Carmen ran off towards her friends, Spain lifted his hands towards his face and gave a very hard slap onto his forehead. Lovi? Did he just call the man, Lovi? It took him every ounce of his strength to stop his head from crashing onto the wall. How embarrassing could he possibly be? Days of not going out with Gilbert and Francis on their usual escapades is taking a toll on him. He had always been smooth with people, being a man of passion, as he decided to call himself and had never done something so unbelievably stupid. He knows he could be slightly air-headed at times but what happened between him and the Italian man had been beyond being only slightly dazed.

"Way to go Antonio," He criticized himself, feeling the stinging pain when his hand connected with his forehead once more. Letting his arms fall limply by his sides, he gave off a long sigh.

"Why is your forehead all red, idiot?" A voice sounding unmistakably British called out to him critically. "Did you eat too many tomatoes again? I don't ever want to see your face with make up on ever again."

"It was only once Arthur," The Spaniard answered the man, his lips curving down but it took a really keen eye to notice. "And I did not eat too many tomatoes."

He had never really been fond of the Briton and he doesn't know why. Somehow every single word that left his lips just made him feel like taking a knife and stabbing his damn throat. Snapping out of his sadistic but satisfying thoughts, Antonio shook his head. It's not good to be this way. Control yourself.

"Anyways, the class is about to start so don't go dreaming off. Focus," The Briton berated the Spaniard again before heading inside the room.

The Spaniard simply nodded his head before heading following the man inside the room with his normally wide grin. Despite his agreement with the Brit, Antonio couldn't help himself when his mind suddenly trailed off towards the Italian. Antonio has never been picky about gender. He and his friends, an albino named Gilbert and a Frenchmen named Francis, had a fair share of dating both genders for years. The three partners in crime simply refused to commit to only one specific other and hence always ended a relationship after a few dates or so. The bad touch trio, that's what their friends during highschool used to call them. 'Bad touch'..., they really live up to that name.

He had always been a sucker for cute things and that Italian just topped everything cute he had seen before with the small tinge of red that seemed to paint itself on the man's cheeks and the cute way his lips just jutted out into a small nearly unnoticeable pout. The Italian has a beautiful voice and the way he talks just sounded like music to his ears, a deep baritone like voice that rises and falls wonderfully as he talks.

"Mr Carriedo, you look creepy." A tiny voice seemingly destroyed the image in his mind with a resounding crash as it pulled him back into reality.

"S-Sorry, what?" He stared at the child, realizing that it was Carmen who spoke to him while the other children simply giggled.

"You were grinning to yourself," The girl explained, cocking his head to the side cutely. "Why is that?"

"O-Oh!" Antonio laughed, rubbing the back of his neck as he felt heat rising into his cheeks, clearly embarrassed with himself once again. "I was just t-thinking about something happy!"

The Spaniard grinned at the children, hoping that they won't question any further, before pulling out a piece of wrapped candy out of his pocket. "Now, the person who could draw me the prettiest picture will get a candy!" holding the said sweet with his fingers for the group of children to see.

The children gleamed with excitement upon seeing the snack and started on their drawings once more with a new set of determination. Smiling to himself with satisfaction, he placed his folded arms on top of the table. Probably, he thought, it's better if he stops thinking about the Italian in class, these kids are very sharp. Suddenly he heard a loud crash on the other side of the classroom and saw kids climbing atop his British co-worker, with crayons as their weapons held ready.

"Oh god no. Stop! No, don't do that!" The Briton shouted out pitifully, as the children proceeded to draw on his white shirt making sure to top it off with small swirls on the end of each sleeve.

Holding back the small burst of laughter, he stood and walked towards the group of children and the man after earning a pleading look from the helpless Brit. He pulled away one boy that was sitting down comfortably on the man's chest and held the boy in his arms, successfully gaining the attention of the kids. "Aww... Mr Carriedo," The boy whined, thrashing his arms around but not enough to make Antonio drop him.

"Marcus, play nice. I'm sure señor Kirkland appreciates the beautiful drawings on his shirt, but it would be better if it is on paper, si? So, all of you can show your parents what beautiful pictures you have drawn." Antonio held the boy and tickling him with his other free hand earning a very gleeful fit of laughter. "Okay children?"

"Okay Mr Carriedo!" The children chimed together and willingly climbed down the man, excited at the thought that they could show their parents.

"You okay there mi amigo?" Antonio questioned as he pulled the said man off the floor.

"Much better, thanks mate. I probably should not have told them that they could draw on anything white, or anything but a paper for that matter." Arthur muttered accompanied with a heavy sigh as he looked down at himself, frowning at the wide array of beautifully multi-coloured swirls, flowers and something that looked much like his very own eyebrows, either that or a very bushy caterpillar. Frowning ever so slightly, he held his shirt forwards. "This is my favourite shirt."

"It looks better now." Antonio smiled, making the Briton confused on whether to take it as sarcasm or just an honest compliment.

With a small nod, the two of them went back to their respective groups of children and continued on with the days' agenda. As time passed by, Antonio glanced up towards the clock and noticed that it's about fifteen more minutes till the end of class. His mind slowly made its way back to the cute Italian from this morning. It's weird, he thought, it was usually Carmen's mother who sends her to school. During the previous parents-teacher-meeting, her mother casually said that the father is a selfish man who only cares about money and not them. It made him wonder whether something had happened between the two since Lovino seemed like a very reliable man. He seems to love his child very much by the way he interacted with the child earlier that morning. Maybe her mother is just busy. Carmen doesn't seem to be affected by it, so there most likely isn't anything wrong with her mother and father.

"Mr Carriedo!" Carmen's voice called out to him, feeling the hem of his sleeves being pulled on persistently.

"Si, mi amor?" Antonio questioned softly, a warm smile on his lips as he looked at the child.

"¿Pasa algo? You keep making a lot of funny faces today." (Is something wrong?) The child questioned worryingly.

"No es nada mi corazón," (It's nothing my darling,) Antonio answered the child, a soft smile playing on his lips. "Anyway, is your papa picking you up today as well?"

"Si! I'll be staying with papa for awhile!" Carmen answered brightly, her wavy hair tossing about playfully as she bounced around.

"Oh? You are? Is your mama okay?" Antonio asked her, turning his body slightly to face her.

"Si! I don't know why but mama says that she'll be going away for awhile and so, papa will be taking care of me." She gave the man a slight quizzical look before giving him a bright smile. "Papa cooks really well, so Carmen doesn't mind!"

Her answer startled him for a moment, "going away for awhile"? What does she mean by that? Antonio was worried, it sounds so unsettling for some reason. It sounds like the type of excuse parents tell their children before they ran away and left their child, but it couldn't be that. It's not possible. He had seen her mother before, and she seems okay albeit a bit weary. She couldn't possibly leave her child. She doesn't seem to be the kind who does that. Sticking to his conclusion, he decided to shrug it away and focus on her recent sentence instead. "Is that so? Your papa can cook?"

"Si! He's a chef! He brings me very yummy food every time he comes over!" The child grinned, leaning on the man's folded legs.

"Comes over?" Antonio stared at the grinning child, wondering why she said that.

"Papa and mama doesn't live-,"

"Okay children! Come on, pack up! It's time to go home already," The heavy British accent interrupted their small conversation completely. Nodding his head, Antonio figured that Carmen should be getting ready as well.

...

After bidding a small cheery Italian and another bigger grumpy Italian goodbye, Antonio forced himself into the building, the fluttering in his stomach preventing him from parting the closed door.

"Step away from the door already you git! Bloody hell, you're such a mess today." Arthur scolded, folding his arms around his chest, hiding away some of the cutely drawn pictures on his shirt.

"Like you?" Antonio grinned as he pointed at the man's shirt, earning a very satisfying shade of red on the man's cheeks and a flustered look on his face.

"S-Shut up!" Arthur shouted, clearly embarrassed, glaring at the Spaniard spitefully. "Your grin looks especially stupid today. What's wrong with you?"

"Hmm?" Antonio questioned lazily as he helped the man clean the place up for the next class. "It's nothing."

Earning a very displeased look by the Brit, Antonio simply shrugged and continued what he was doing. "Do you know what happened to Carmen's mother?" Antonio decided to give it a shot, his head swirling with possibilities.

"What do you mean what happened? It doesn't seem as though anything is wrong." Arthur stole a small glimpse at his co-worker to see a rare frown on the Spaniards face. It doesn't suit him at all.

"Really? Well, Carmen told me that her mother said to her that she will be gone for awhile. Doesn't that seem strange to you?" Antonio questioned, pausing from his work to look at the Brit.

Feeling the man's emerald eyes on him, Arthur turned to face him. "She's probably busy with work or something and will be gone for awhile, why do you care so much?"

"I don't know. The way she phrased it seems so, suspicious. You know?"

"No it isn't, now stop thinking so much about it. The next class is arriving and it is simply none of your business to be meddling with other families." Arthur snapped and continued with cleaning the crayon markings the children had made on the floor.

Arthur's right. He has got to stop thinking about those two, he shouldn't be interfering in other's affairs. He needs to loosen up! He should probably call up Gilbert and Francis, hoping to get a few drinks inside of him by the end of the day, not enough until he wouldn't be able to go to work tomorrow but just enough for him to loosen up a notch.

Antonio smiled. Probably he'll be able to meet the cute Italian man again...

* * *

YAY! This chapter is done! Is it okay? I love the Carmen I'm imagining in my head right now~ (Not a pedo!) Feel free to tell me if I made a mistake on anything cause I'm realllllyy lazzyy to cheeckkk agaainnn... II'mmm sowwwiieee... I'll probably be updating it once a week or if I'm in a good mood, more than that but yea, bear with me. I'm a lazzzyyy giirrrlll...

Okay so yea... BYE BYE

psst... I don't own Hetalia^^


	7. Chapter 7

Hello guys! It's been a very long while right after I said that I would release this every once a week. It's been busy for me lately ever since school started, I now have projects, assignments and practices to do and it's really taking a toll on me. It's pretty tiring. (In actual fact, my real reason for not posting is because I had no motivation! XP sorry) Anyways, but it is true that I'm starting to be reall busy these days so it might take me awhile to finish this. I've written 3 one-shots as well, all half way done mind you. I'll try to post up some stuff every once in awhile so yea...

For this chapter, I've focused on USUK! Ahahah, sorry to those who ship FRUK btw... The british slangs I used might be a bit awkward and I might get some spanish and Italian words wrong. Why I still use them in my fanfics, I don't know why! Anyways, please enjoy^^ Sorry for the delay ~

WARNING: For anything that you might find to be offensive to you.

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Hearing the small snickers of laughter following him, he wrapped his Burberry coat around him tighter. Kids can be a true pain in the arse every now and then, and having to care for near seventy of them a day, it's taking a toll on him. After the whole drawing on the shirt accident, the other kids from the other classes took it as their goal for the day to do the very same. Now his shirt has robots, stars, swirls, trees, monkeys and surprise, surprise... exaggerated versions of his eyebrows. Now, as he tries to make it towards the cafe Antonio was talking about as swiftly as possible, he's practically dying of embarrassment. Feeling the heat rushing to his cheeks as another group of girls pointed at his exposed shirt snickering, he quickened his pace to fall right behind the dazed Spaniard, who seems to be completely oblivious towards the whole thing.

"Are we there yet?" Arthur frowned, his arms wrapped around him started to loosen. "I knew I should have gone home."

"No! Come on, you promised that you would follow, and I really need a drink right now." Antonio whined as he stared at the Brit.

"I didn't promise anything you twit! Why are you so keen on drinking anyway?" Arthur ignored the stares of the two girls that passed by him, thinking that they were laughing at him when it was really quite the opposite. "And why did you even invite me for once?"

"Nada, I just need a drink." Antonio pouted, clearly ignoring the Brit's last question.

With a small huff, Arthur followed him without making any more noise. It's as clear as day that the two of them never get along well outside of class, and he doesn't know why. It's not unusual for the Briton to have any enemies but it's unusual for the Spaniard to have one, I mean, see how the Spaniard smiles like a fool every single damn minute and how he talks so sweetly to both humans and animals. Nobody could ever imagine the Spaniard to hold a single ounce of hatred inside him, except for Arthur. So it came as a surprise to him when the man actually invited him out for a drink, and an even bigger surprise that he accepted!

"Arthur? We're here." Antonio called out, his expression neutral as he waved a hand in front of Arthur's face.

"Stop waving your bloody hand in front of my face, I can hear you loud and clear." Arthur shouted as he pushed away the hand in annoyance.

Shrugging, Antonio simply pushed the door open taking in the wonderful coffee house smell with a small grin on his face. Arthur frowned and took a step inside as well, despite the lovely coffee smell wafting from behind the counter, he could not help but to stay stubborn and seek the aromatic smell of tea. Finally, he took note of the overturned chairs stacked atop the tables and the loud ruckus from behind a door which Arthur assumes leads to the kitchen.

"Hola!" Antonio greeted loudly with a dazed grin displaying upon his face.

"Oh Antonio! You're here," A lanky blonde man walked out of the door, his French accent giving away his true nationality as his lips curled up into a very creepy smile. Looking about awkwardly as the two hugged, he noticed at the corner of his eye the man's hands sliding down Antonio's back and finally grabbing the man's ass.

Arthur's mouth drooped down in shock, feeling a sudden urge to just separate the two men apart. Not that he is against homosexuality. In fact..., it's the exact opposite if you know what I mean, however, seeing the Frenchman groping the laughing Spaniard, nearly made Arthur regret his choice in life.

"Is this the friend you were talking about?" The blonde haired man stared at him, eyebrows rose as the man's eyes travelled from his dishevelled hair, to the beautifully decorated white shirt and then down to his pants and if Arthur is not mistaken, he could see the man's eyes lingering shamelessly on his crotch. "You're right, he's cute."

"S-Stop staring you git!" Arthur stuttered, taking a few steps back awkwardly.

"Pourquoi, mon ami mignon?" (Why, my cute friend?) The man simply started moving towards the smaller man, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Because I do not want some perverted frog looking at me," Arthur sputtered indignantly, ignoring the faint blush of anger that sprinkled itself on his cheeks. Looking at the Spaniard for some support, he noticed that the man had already taken a seat at the counter with a far off look on his face. "I bet he planned this, that bloody idiot."

Gasping as he felt the smooth wall hit his back, he looked forward and noticed that the man was grinning. Within seconds, he could feel the man pressing down on him, his hands on the wall next to his head to keep his balance in check. "You're so-"

Without a second thought, Arthur allowed his knee to hit upon the man's abdomen and in a quick succession, brought his fist to meet the man's cheek. "Don't you dare touch me you bloody wanker." Arthur shouted the moment he saw the man touches the ground with a resounding crack.

"Woah, what's going on here?" A voice called out. "What's up with old Frenchie there?"

Turning his head with an annoyed grunt, he noticed a tall man appearing from the same door the French man had came from before. The young man squatted down next to the unconscious man and laughed almost too brightly considering the situation. "Awesome! He's completely out cold, man!"

"Francis tried groping him, and there he is now," Antonio smiled at the American, pointing at the Briton standing near the door.

"Good job! It ain't everyday he gets knocked out like that!" He quickly approached the blushing Briton and held out his hand. "I'm Alfred F. Jones, nice to meet you!"

"Arthur Kirkland." Arthur huffed annoyingly and shook the man's hand before scowling. "I can't help but say that your English is simply atrocious."

"Oh sweet, you're cute AND British!" Alfred grinned before leaning down to stare at the man's face. "Wow, your eyebrows are huge but freakishly, it kinda makes you look good!"

Feeling his cheeks heating up, Arthur looked away in embarrassment. "Damn git."

"Francis, mi amigo! You're awake!" Antonio called out gleefully, which seemed completely unaffected by the fact that his friend had practically been attacked and probably had been in a state of a coma for the past few minutes. It doesn't seem to be the first time he'd seen something like that happened to the man, Arthur thought.

"O-Oui," Francis mumbled, gently touching the cheek that had started to swell.

"Do you want to go out for some drinks? I've already called Gilbert over!" Antonio grinned, helping the bruised man back onto his feet. "And I've been meaning to talk to you about someone...,"

Arthur stood still, staring at the ground as he listened to the conversation when suddenly someone tapped his shoulder. Turning around, he realized how close the American's face is to his. "W-What the bloody-,"

"Are ya going as well?" The American questioned, his eyes twinkling behind the framed glasses.

"I-I guess so," Arthur stuttered, embarrassed by how close the two of them are.

Seeing the man up close, Arthur couldn't help but ogle over the fact that Alfred is actually pretty good-looking. He seemed to be of a muscular build, strong and sturdy but slightly lean as well. He has shady blonde hair and a small clump of hair standing defiantly at his front hairline. He also has striking blue eyes which immediately remind Arthur of the colour of the seas and the skies. The white shirt the man wore seemed slightly loose on him, with a navy green apron covering the front. The man's smile is charismatic with a hint of goofiness, but it could easily rival the sun's brightness. Overall, the American looks very, very, handsome.

"Yes! Okay, can't wait!" Alfred grinned, fist pumped upwards.

Smiling with slight amusement, he shook his head. Suddenly, he noticed the man's eyes on him once more, an inquisitive look playing upon his face. "What's up with your shirt man?"

"H-Huh?" Arthur questioned, looking down towards where the man pointed at.

"It's full of drawings!" Alfred chuckled, staring at all the individual drawings. "A-And are those..., YOUR EYEBROWS?!"

With a small huff, Arthur pushed away the man harshly, trying to quell down the reddening cheeks of his. "S-Shut up you damned idiot!"

"Anyway," Arthur frowned, "Do any of you have a spare shirt?"

...

"How was school Carmen?" Lovino called out from the kitchen, his daughter dutifully setting up the table.

"It was fun! Mr Arthur was drawn all over! He looked so weird after that papa!" Carmen chuckled cutely at the memory before running up to her young father.

"He was drawn all over? Why?" The man questioned, picking up the little child and setting her down near him but far away from the fire.

"Mr Arthur said that they can draw on anything white! So, Carlos and Marcus thought that it was fine to draw on Mr Arthur's shirt!" Carmen answered cheerfully, her long wavy hair bouncing up and down as she explained. " Fue muy divertido! They drew flowers, stars and even Mr Arthur's eyebrows!" (It was very funny!)

"H-His eyebrows?" Lovino stared at her inquisitively, having never seen the man before, Lovino couldn't find anything funny about it.

"Si! Son enormes!" (Yes! It is huge!) She gestured largely, placing the palms of her hands onto her forehead seeming to be the eyebrows she was talking about.

Seeing the action, he couldn't help but laugh. Finally, Lovino gently pulled away her hands from her head. "That's not nice il mio amore."

"But Papa's laughing," She pouted, looking up timidly at her father.

"True, but it is still not nice." Lovino smiled softly, patting her cheek when suddenly he felt a soft tug on the hem of his shirt. Looking downwards, he saw the small cat circling about his foot before looking up at him, mewing cheerfully. "You dumb cat."

"Papa! Don't call España that!" The child cried out as she jumped down from the counter.

Grabbing the mewling cat off the ground, she walked away from the kitchen giggling as the cat licked her face. Feeling a small hint of envy in him, he shook it off and drove his attention back towards the stove before muttering, "Fucking dumbass of a cat."

* * *

I'm done! Feel free to review on any of my mistakes~ I knew I made a few mistakes the past few chapters like using the name "Carmella" instead of "Carmen". Teehee~ Anyways... BYE BYE

Psst... I don't own Hetalia^^


	8. Chapter 8

Omg.. It's been so long eh? I'm seriously stressed out from school right now, and I'll be real busy this upcoming two weeks due to all the tests and projects I'll be doing. So I won't promise you guys anything. It's really tiring for me and I haven't had the time to continue this. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter due to the interactions I made between the three of them^^ Please feel free to correct any of my Italian or Spanish words, oh heck, feel free to correct my English as well!

WARNING: Rated T for "You Know Who"...^^ Teehee..

* * *

Feeling the soft wind blowing against him, he released a deep sigh. It has been weeks since Adella left Carmen with him, and with an honesty of a single parent, it's hard. He has to wake up early to tend to his beautiful garden, wash their clothes, get a sleepy child to bathe, get breakfast ready and then send her off to Feli's. After work, he will rush back to collect her and then they'll have dinner and he watches over Carmen as she draws and talk about her day. It's starting to bother him how every single story the child ever told to him was either about her class or what had happened at his brother's house. He obviously understands that it's not wrong to talk about those things, but, it made him wonder whether she ever told stories of what they had done. The only day he has time alone with her for the entire day is on Sundays, and even then they would linger around at home. His heart sank when the thought of her liking her uncle more than her own father popped up inside his head. He couldn't even work well that entire day, and it worried the hell out of his best friend, Alfred. Finally, after a few days of thought, he decided to bring the child to the park and let her enjoy something other than crayons and books, and hopefully enjoy being with her own father... as well as that stupid cat.

After a few moments of staring at the soft green grass ahead of him, his eyes travelled towards a mother that sat on the bench adjacent to where he sat, she was holding on to a crying young boy that seemed to have injured himself while playing. "Let's see whether she'll be able to get the fuck out of that situation," Lovino whispered to himself as he witnessed her talking to her sobbing child, caressing his cheeks while whispering to him, which miraculously, made the child stop crying and instead, start smiling. "She must've been using some fucking magic."

"Papa!" A lovely, sweet voice called out to him. Masking his previous amusement, he turned to face the grinning young child with a small trace of a smile lingering on his lips. The cat pulled away from his hold and jumped down from his lap, prancing its way towards the small girl.

However the smile died the moment he noticed a taller person hovering over his daughter. Travelling up the length of the person's body, he scowled the moment he recognized a ridiculously familiar Spaniard.

"Look who I found!" She cried out, hugging the man's leg all of a sudden, earning a small surprised mewl from the cat.

"Oh, I'm looking alright," Lovino grumbled as he got off onto his own two feet to meet the man. His scowl deepened the moment he noticed that he was a good few inches shorter than him. "You're her teacher aren't you?"

"Si! I see you're doing well Lovi!" Hearing the nickname, he couldn't decide whether the heat rising into his cheeks was out of humiliation or anger.

"I think it will suit us both well if you stop calling me that," Lovino uttered balefully, clearly still aware that Carmen is staring at the two of them.

"You think so? I think it's pretty cute though!" The man grinned.

"Carmen thinks so too!" Carmen called out, pulling incessantly on the Italian man's pants earning a soft laugh from the Spaniard. "By the way papa, I have something for you!"

Pulling away from the other's amused emerald eyes, Lovino glanced downwards to look at the young girl below him. "What is it, il mio amore?"

Seeing her widening smile, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Close your eyes papa!" He simply didn't have the heart to tell her that he could see the colourful array of colourful flowers poking out from behind her back, so he nodded his head and did as he was told.

"You can open your eyes now!" Tilting his head slightly to the side, he opened his eyes. A bouquet of wild flowers was held towards him, the stems broken off and was held together by small hands.

"Oh wow, queste sono belle Carmen," (Oh wow, these are beautiful Carmen) Lovino smiled, pulling the child up into his arms. "Did you really pick them for me?"

"Si! I knew you love flowers papa!" She explained, only her eyes poking out from behind the bunch of flowers. "Mama said that papa always gave her flowers from papa's garden!"

The sentence took a hard hit on him as memories started flowing back. It was hard to forget the times of anger and confusion he experienced only a few weeks back and he was pretty sure the feelings aren't gone just yet. After a few worried calls from the other two and a soft mewl from the stupid cat, Lovino finally broke out a hesitant smile. "I-I'm sorry, tesoro mio," (my darling) Lovino stuttered as he held the child in one arm and took the flowers gently from her with the other, "Thank you for the flowers."

"De nada! Ti amo papa!" (You're welcome! I love you papa!)Carmen giggled and hugged him as tight as a child possibly could. After a short while, she pulled away and looked down at the cat. "I want to play with _España_!"

With a mild feeling of dejection, he nodded and placed her on the ground. Seeing her run off with the small cat bouncing helplessly in her arms, Lovino swore he could make out a dazed look on the cat's face as it dangled about. Taking a short whiff from the bouquet of flowers in his hand, he calmly took a seat once more.

"So you love flowers, huh?"

Giving off a small sigh, he turned sideways to see the Spaniard sitting down next to him. "Don't you have some papers to mark or something?"

"I deal with kindergarten kids, I don't think marking pictures is a way to go," Antonio answered, a wide smile painting his face.

"Fucking smartass," Lovino grumbled, unconsciously organizing the flowers in his hand.

"You shouldn't curse, it's not good example for children." The said man answered, lips curving in slight disapproval.  
"You don't know shit about me, so don't go shooting off your dumbass assumptions." Lovino retorted, glaring at the Spaniard coldly. He had always hated it whenever people assumed things about him, especially about how he raises his child. Adella did it all the time back then, every single day she would say to him that it would be good for Carmen not to be that exposed to him due to his "beautiful" choices of words. It made him feel as though he's that bad of a parent for Carmen.

"Don't worry, I wasn't saying that you're a bad parent or anything-,"

"Shut the fuck up." Lovino bit his lips and slid further away from him. A liar, Lovino thought, of course he's saying that I'm a bad parent. He probably thinks that he's better than me.

"Lovi, I really didn't mean that at all." Releasing a small sigh, Antonio best decided that he better change his subject as he stared forward to look at Carmen playing around with the smaller cat. "So, how long had you been with your wife?"

Another awkward silence..., did something bad happen to her? He wanted to question about it when suddenly he heard the man uttering something really softly. "Sorry but I can't hear you."

"Ex-girlfriend."

"Sorry?"

"Fucking hell, you're an idiot as well." The smaller man grumbled, palming his face painfully. "Her mother isn't my wife, she was my ex."

"Oh, okay." Honestly, he doesn't know what to do now. He doesn't want this man to hate him, and finally knowing he's single, he really wants to try to get into his good side. "So you're raising her together? I think that's pretty admirable, she's a very nice woman."

"Not anymore," The Italian answered, his voice shaking slightly. While Antonio tried to figure out what more to say, Lovino leaned forwards slightly and cupped his hands into some sort of a megaphone. "Carmen! Stop throwing Spagna around, he'll get hurt!"

Seeing an opportunity to change the subject once more, he grinned. "Why do you call the cat, _España?"_

"_Hmm?" _Glancing sideways, the Italian gave a small sigh as though thankful for the distraction. "The stupid cat's a Spanish breed, that's why."

"That's unique." He chuckled, "You're really different from others."

"Is that an insult?" Lovino scowled, glaring at him.

"No! Not at all! I mean, you're different because you're not like any others. You're cute, sexy even, and you love your child so much, and you have a very funny personality. The way you treat her and talk to her, I just know that you're such a great father to her and she really loves you. Not many people are like you! You're... special." He gleamed, slamming his head inside his mind when he realized he didn't really answer the man's question properly. He waited for the man to say that he's weird or a creep or something but it never came, so he slowly turned his head to face the Italian.

Lovino's face was glowing a dark shade of red much like a tomato, lips parted to form a small 'o' as he stared at him. He looks so unbelievably cute, Antonio thought, I really feel like kissing him. His eyes trailed over the man's soft, sensual lips, imagining what it might feel like if he could kiss them, lick them. He jerked away from his thoughts the moment Lovino turned away, his clearly red cheeks facing him.

"S-Stupid bastard."

"You look like a tomato Lovi!" Antonio grinned, poking his cheek with a finger only to laugh when he felt the other slapping it away.

"Stop calling me that!" The smaller man cried out, his blush deepening.

"Papa! What's wrong? Are you sick?" A young voice called out nearby, causing two heads to look that way. "You look so red!"

They could see Carmen running towards them, a small feline catching up from behind her. "N-No I'm not Carmen. Don't worry about me." Lovino answered, picking her up the moment she reached them. "Shall we go home now? It's getting late, and I need to place these beautiful flowers you've gotten me into a vase."

"Awww..., but I want to play with Mr Carriedo!" The child whined, pouting her lips cutely. It didn't take long to find the similarities between the two, Antonio mused.

"You should have done that just now, we have to go home already since it's getting dark Carmen." Lovino countered, "You'll be able to play with Mr Carriedo tomorrow in school, okay?"

"But we can't play together, there are other children too." The two of them stared into each other's eyes, having their own personal contest. "I want to play at the park!"

After a few moments, Lovino looked away with a small sigh. "How about this, next week Sunday, we'll come to the park with Mr Carriedo if he is free and then you two can play. Comprende?"

"I don't mind." Antonio shrugged, smiling gleefully at the child.

With that cute, thoughtful look on her face, it was hard not to break out into a smile. "Si! Promesa?"

"Te prometo." Lovino answered in Spanish, something he does when he means he's serious. Understanding her father completely, the child nodded happily and turned to face the Spaniard, giving him an energetic wave goodbye. "Hasta mañana!"

"Si, adiós Carmen!" After a brief nod and a scowl, Lovino walked off with Carmen in his arms.

"Oh man, we forgot Spagna."

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H-Heyoo~ I'm done with this chapter^^ As I've said before, feel free to correct any of the words I used, and thank you for reading this far^^ I love you guys..T_T Well..then... BYE BYE

psst... I don't own Hetalia^^


	9. Chapter 9

Hey guys! Okay... So..., three weeks of waiting huh? And omg, 51 followers! eeepp...O.O Omg I love you guys. So, actually.. I'm supposed to be studying right now for a test tomorrow.. but OH WELL. Thank you for all the support for this fanfic I wrote...T_T Please feel free to review the fanfic, I don't mind! Please correct me if I wrote anything wrong, there was many mistakes I made for the previous chapters and if I feel like it, I will try to correct them. Okay well... On with my story^^

WARNING: RATED T...Because of him ya know..

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As the sun rises from the corner of his eyes, Lovino stood up, wiping away the perspiration that threatened to slide down the side of his cheek. He had always enjoyed the sunrise as he gardened, agreeing with himself that it is a very relaxing moment. He took in the red streaks of sunshine colouring the dark blue sky, a mixture of orange and blue between the two. Despite the sun's appearance, the cold wind kept blowing, further freezing the Italian man. After a short while, Lovino grabbed all of his tools and walked off towards his house, starting the day with a small hidden smile. It is a good day.

Pulling off his dirtied gloves and shoes, he didn't seem any bit surprised by the silence of his household. After cleaning himself up a bit, he stalked his way into his daughter's room wanting to wake his lovely child up. However, he pouted the moment he noticed his little girl already up and about, sitting on her bed clearly struggling to keep awake. "Buongiorno, angelo mio." (Good morning, my angel)

"Buongiorno papa!" The child answered, a sleepy grin playing on her small lips.

As he sat on her bed next to her, he patted his lap towards the small child. Understanding the gesture, she climbed eagerly onto his lap hugging the man and pulled away. "So Carmen, what do you feel like eating for breakfast?"

With a small hum, she grabbed her chin as she started thinking, a cute imitation of what Feliciano does when he thinks. "I want pasta!"

Eyebrows raised in surprise, Lovino stared at her in slight amusement. "Now where did that come from?"

"Uncle Feli said that he always ate pasta for breakfast which made Uncle Luddy sigh a lot!" She grinned, kneeling on his lap to be on level with him. "So I want to try too!"

"It's kind of unhealthy to eat pasta every morning." He muttered in response, frowning at what she had just said. She's getting influenced by Feli a lot, and honestly, he doesn't really know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.

"Just once! Per favore papa!" She begged, her eyes widening and lips jutting out into a pout.

Frowning at the look, Lovino could only sigh. Seeing no harm in her suggestion, he shrugged. "Okay then, the angel gets what the angel wants."

With a cute giggle, she kissed both his cheeks and climbed off his lap. "Grazie papa!"

"Prego."

With a slight jump in her steps, she stood next to the bed where the cat laid asleep. With a small smile, she gently scratched the cat's head. "Wake up, mi España." She whispered to the feline, grinning the moment she saw the feline's eyes crack open, purring with pleasure. Lovino simply smiled as he stood, making his way into the kitchen.

"You better not spoil him too much Carmen, he might get too cheeky later." Lovino shouted to her as he gathered the right utensils and ingredients from the cabinets.

"Uncle Feli says it's fine to spoil them!" She answered back with a defiant grin on her face, the cat hanging from her hold wearing a small dazed look on its face.

He didn't know how to respond to that as he noticed that that was the first time that Carmen actually went against him despite her not realizing it. With a small nod, he gestured towards the toilet. "Fine, just go on and get ready. We'll be heading towards Uncle Feli's right after breakfast."

He won't lie to himself, he decided, it's starting to bother him quite a fair bit. She's starting to act like his Fratello and he couldn't help but hate that. When they were much younger, he simply despised his brother. His brother was perfect…, unbelievably perfect. He was always the better one out of the two of them and Lovino hated that fact. Feliciano is musically inclined, gifted when it comes to art and he is able to communicate with people as easy as us saying "One, two, and three."

Now, seeing his own daughter following his brother's footsteps, he couldn't help but feel jealous all over again. He couldn't even win over his own child for fuck's sake. He thought he had grown from the whole "I envy my brother!" fiasco, but apparently he hasn't and he feels unbelievably pathetic after knowing so.

"Maybe she would be happier if my fucking perfect Fratello is her father after all," He mumbled sulkily to himself as he started dicing the onions.

…

Lovino simply felt horrible. He ignored his brother the whole time as he sent Carmen there, and it wasn't even his fault to begin with! It's not like it's Feli's fault that he's so fucking perfect and everything. He's feeling so angry, yet guilty and sad all at the same time and it's really starting to tick him off.

"Fuck, this sucks." Lovino muttered, leaning his entire weight onto the wall as he stared off into the dark alley.

"What? You mean the food you made? Don't worry man, it tastes fine!" Alfred assured him, patting the Italian's back none too gently.

"I wasn't talking about the food you dumbass!" Lovino cried out, stretching to clutch his back that was in immense pain.

"Oh really? Then what were you talking about?" He questioned as he took out a hamburger from god knows where. "You look stressed out by the way."

"No shit, Sherlock." Lovino glared at the man, wincing at the pain still. Shaking his head, he sighed, feeling another wave of guilt wash over him as he noticed the slightly hurt expression on the American's face. "It's nothing Alfred."

"Come on man! I tell you everything-,"

"In which, by the way, I still don't understand why."

"As I was saying," Alfred rolled his eyes, obviously irritated by the interruption. "I tell you everything, so why don't you trust me too huh? Have I ever like, disappointed you before?"

"Well-,"

"The answer is no!" Alfred answered before he could even have a say in it, making him chuckle. "So come on, at least let me help you man."

"Okay fine," Lovino smirked, folding his arms as his own way of saying that he admitted defeat. "I don't know why but something's starting to bug me about-,"

"ALFRED! GET YOUR ASS BACK OUT HERE RIGHT NOW! YOUR BREAK ENDED 10 MINUTES AGO!" Francis shouted from inside the kitchen, causing the unlucky American to jump and drop his burger.

"Shit, that Frenchie seriously doesn't give me a break!" Alfred whined, swinging his arms around as he complained how they needed an extra hand around the café. With a shake of the head and a very heavy heart, Lovino continued on with his work.

…

"Oh hey Lovi, you're not done yet?" Alfred grinned, as he entered the kitchen.

"Hmm? Of course I'm not. It's not even the end of my shift yet." Lovino answered in confusion, looking up from the pot of simmering sauce.

"Huh? Oh so Feliciano's pickin' the sassy princess up today, huh?" Alfred joked, avoiding the lethargic Greek cook by an inch as the man went on taking over the pot Lovino was taking care of.

"What do you mean?" He was honestly confused. What is Alfred talking about?

"Dude! Didn't you say that you wanted to pick her up today? Old Frenchie there even gave you the rest of the day off." Alfred gestured at the door, presumably at the French right outside.

Blinking, it took a while for Lovino to go through the notes crumpled at one small corner inside his brain. Finding the small memory, he tore the apron off and grabbed his things. "FUCK! I FUCKING FORGOT! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!"

Rushing out the door, he could hear the faint shout of the American wishing him luck. He pushed past the numbers of people walking leisurely at the sidewalk, towards the Sunshine Kindergarten. It's already 4:15! His heart sank the moment he noticed how dark the interior of the building seemed to be. He stomped up towards the door, and tried the door only to found it locked. "Carmen?!"

"Carmen, where are you?!" Lovino shouted, struggling to take in air into his lungs. He jogged all around the building, looking into the windows but nothing. It's all dark and empty inside. Suddenly the thought struck him, probably the kindergarten called Feli, and they might already be at his home at that very moment. Taking in a deep breath, he ran off towards his brother's home.

…

Impatiently, he started banging on the door after pressing the bell once or twice. He hoped with every might he could possibly muster that Carmen is with her uncle right now. "Feli! Open up the door!"

Hearing a loud thumping of someone walking towards the door, Lovino respectfully inched backwards as the door swung open revealing a very agitated German. "What do you want Lovino?"

"Don't give me that fucking look you dumb fu-," Lovino breathed in, stopping before he could even finish the trail of curses he wanted to say at that particular moment. "Where's Carmen? Is she here? Where's Feli?"

"What do you mean, where's Carmen? Aren't you supposed to be picking her up? Feliciano's sleeping. He just got back from the art museum just a few minutes ago." Ludwig answered, an eyebrow inching up ever so slowly as he took in the shocked face of the Italian in front of him. "

"B-But…," Lovino stuttered, his face getting dangerously pale at every nano second passed. "S-She c-couldn't be."

"Lovino, what's going on? Where is Carmen?" Ludwig questioned, a worried tone crept into his voice.

Looking at the other man sharply, Lovino shook. Two thoughts was under debate in his head, whether to take the chance of telling the man ahead of him and being accused that he was a bad father and getting help to find Carmen, or, not telling the man and having no help at finding Carmen. After seeing the wondering look on the man's face, Lovino misunderstood it and ran off alone to find his child…

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So...how was it? I bet you guys spotted a few mistakes. Hehe sorry~ Anyways, thank you for reading, feel free to review and correct my mistakes^^ I'll try to update as soon as possible. I have one more week of school and it'll be my term break so I'll try to update then^^ Now off to my studies...T_T BYE BYE

psst... I don't own Hetalia^^


	10. Chapter 10

Hey guys! Yo... HAhaha! I'm glad to see some of you had already figured the answer such as **Spadejo9** and **TheDeadOne28. **~~ AHhaha Your reviews made my day when I saw it^^ By the way, **Black Kaitou,** nice question! Francis does NOT know that the two of them knows each other^^ I might include that in the future chapters possibly and thanks for bringing it up^^ **  
**

I would like to thank you guys who is reading this right now for following my story and I hope none of the chapters had disappointed you. ONE MORE THING! I would like you guys to check out **Child Services** by **MiyaBlack , **a truly amazing story! I fell in love with it and I hope you guys will too~

Okay then, on with the story. WARNING: For Lovino's language.

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"Luddy~~!" His voice echoed all about the moment he stepped inside the room, trudging lazily towards his lover. "Ve~, you're back already?"

"Yea, I got back a few hours ago. Kiku took over some of my work for today," The latter answered, a small smile on his lips as he accepted his lover's chaste kiss.

"Ve~, I see! That's good," The smaller Italian sighed happily, climbing onto the other's lap.

"How was the exhibition?" The older one questioned, combing through the Italian's auburn hair gently and slowly. Feeling the smaller man snuggle into him, he couldn't help but smile to himself. He couldn't decide whether he is just lucky to find the man or whether it's all just fate. He didn't take into consideration the rude older brother of course, but that's a whole different story.

"Ve~…," The younger man hummed, resting his cheek on the German's chest. "It was fun, there were many people there, but it seemed as though a couple of them didn't seem to enjoy my artwork."

The German simply nodded, understanding the whole situation. "It's okay, I'm sure they'll come to like it in the future."

"I hope they do," The Italian answered, his voice gradually getting softer. The German sighed softly, hearing the soft snores coming from the younger man. He slid his arm slowly beneath the other's legs and back. Gently, he lifted the man and stalked his way towards their bedroom.

"Luddy~," He could hear his lover whisper in his sleep, causing him to chuckle.

After settling the Italian down on their bed and tucking him in, he decided that he should start making dinner. It was agreed before that Feliciano would make dinner but since he's sleeping, Ludwig figured that he would do it for today, save himself from another day of pasta for dinner, not that he's complaining. The moment he stepped inside the kitchen, he heard someone banging on the door incessantly, the bell ringing numerously. He ran up towards the door and opened it quickly, wanting the person to stop.

It didn't surprise him at all to see Feliciano's older brother at the door after all the noise, the thing that surprised him was how flustered the man look. His eyes were red, his breathing shallow and uneven, almost as if he ran the whole way here. He looked panicked and his eyes darted all around as though searching for something. Feeling a small sense of dread and unhappiness creep up into him, Ludwig frowned as he leaned onto the door. "What do you want Lovino?"

"Don't give me that look you dumbfu-" Lovino growled only to stop midway, to Ludwig's gratitude. "Where's Carmen? Is she here? Where's Feli?"

What Lovino said completely confused him. He remembered correctly that just a few days ago, Lovino had notified them that he would be picking Carmen up. "What do you mean, where's Carmen? Aren't you supposed to be the one picking her up? Feliciano's sleeping. He just got back from the art museum just a few minutes ago." His could feel his eyebrows slowly inching up in surprise as he noticed the shocked expression the Italian had on him.

"B-But…," The man stuttered, looking unbelievably lost as he staggered backwards, his face drained of colour. "S-She c-couldn't be."

He had known this hazardous Italian for years now, and honestly, this was the only time he had seen such a lost look on the man's face. Lovino had always been a prideful man and had never shown his weakness to anyone, ESPECIALLY Ludwig. So, seeing the smaller man like this, he couldn't help but feel that there is something wrong. "Lovino, what is going on? Where is Carmen?" He questioned the man, a new sense of worry filtering his voice.

Lovino stared at him sharply, taking in a shuddering breath. The Italian simply stood there, his eyes glazed over as if deep in thought. Before he knew it, the Italian had turned around and ran off.

"Ve~, what's wrong Luddy?" A soft voice came out from behind him as a pair of arms wrapped itself around his waist.

"Honestly," The German answered, twisting his head to face the younger Italian. "I don't know but I think something happened to Carmen."

"What?!" Feliciano's eyes widened, pulling away far enough to look at the German properly. "What happened?!"

"I don't know. Lovino didn't tell me anything." Ludwig admitted in embarrassment, he couldn't have felt any less pathetic.

"Oh mio dio," Feliciano breathed, looking panicked. Seeing the shamed look on the German's face, Feliciano smiled. "Oh Luddy, it's okay. You know what's Fratello like, right? We'll go to his house later to check out whether everything is alright okay?"

"Okay."

…

He didn't know what to do honestly. He doesn't know whether he should call the police or whether he should ask for help from anyone. So he went to the first place that popped inside his head, his home. As he made his way to his home, praying to himself breathlessly hoping that his child was at home the whole time, he felt as though his legs could literally fall off. Finally, he saw the familiar landscape of his house in the distance and a rush of anxiety took over him. He took off faster despite the pain that shot up his legs in disapproval.

"Carmen?!" He shouted as he threw the door open, glancing all over the place.

"Papa!" His body froze, as he heard her voice calling out to him. He started out towards the living room, hoping that nothing had happened to his precious child.

As he entered the part of the house, he noticed the child playing with an older figure. His child was looking up at him with a wide grin playing on her lips as she held onto a piece of crayon. The older figure stood, looking at him with a small smile. "Oh hey, you're back."

Honestly, Lovino did not know what came over him. It's cliché, but he really doesn't. All of a sudden, he felt himself moving towards the Spaniard grabbing his collar and pushing him back onto the wall. All the strength that he had thought had left him rushed back as he grabbed the man by the throat. "What the fuck did you do to her?!"

He could feel the man struggling against his hold, trying to release the grip he had on the man. Finally, the Spaniard fell silent, staring at the Italian with some sort of reckless determination. "Papa! What are you doing?" Carmen screamed, tugging at her father's pants eagerly with tears streaming down her cheeks.

She had never seen her father done something like this. Well, she had never even seen him angry before so you can imagine the surprise she had seeing this situation. The two men stared at each other, one seeking answers while the other providing nothing but answers. Loosening his grip, Lovino growled. "I'll ask you once more. Did you do anything to her?"

Feeling the grip around his throat lessening, the Spaniard took in a deep breath. "No."

…

Antonio did not expect the tiny Italian to have so much strength in him like a dog with all bark and no bite. So it came with so much surprise the moment he felt his back crash against the wall and his throat crushed. He literally panicked for a moment there before he noticed the wild worry the Italian had in his eyes. He can understand why the man had acted as so and the only thing he could do was to calm the man down. So putting himself at a risk of getting his neck broken, he simply stood still while staring into the man's amber eyes. He could see the tears pooling in the Italian's eyes, how his shoulders heaved as though out of breath and the way the man's lips trembled. The child's cries went unnoticed by the man at the corner of his eyes, her screaming and pulling ignored.

After a while, he noticed that he was starting to ache for air as his chest constricted painfully. He was about to protest further when suddenly he felt the fingers around his neck lose some of its bite. Sucking in as much air as he could, he waited for Lovino to speak. "I'll ask you once more. Did you do anything to her?"

The Italian meant no harm, and he could understand that. "No."

Lovino pulled away from the Spaniard, tears rolling down his cheeks. "F-Fuuck…," The Italian shuddered, grabbing his mouth with shaky hands. Finally he looked down to see his child at a state more or less like he is in and he felt so relieved that he immediately went down and pulled the child into his arms. "I'm so sorry Carmen. I'm so sorry you had to see that."

Lovino felt his heart sink when he realized that his little girl wasn't responding to his hug, so he simply shook his head and pulled away. He doesn't know what to do. What if she doesn't like him anymore? Suddenly he felt strong hands on his arms as he felt himself being lifted off the ground. "Come on, you should sit down first. I bet you were worried."

He was sat down on one of the couches, his head facing the ground. "I'll go make you some tea if you don't mind." Antonio sat down next to him, eyes trained on the Italian.

Seeing the small shake of the man's head, he nodded and went to do as he had just said. Seeing the child sitting down on the floor, he kneeled down next to her. "Come on niña, stop crying." He muttered, wiping away her tears. He decided that he didn't want to see any more tears being shed in this household. Seeing the small nod, he smiled and carried her towards her father when suddenly he felt her shaking her head. He stopped in his tracks to look at the child, only to see her scared expression the moment she looks at her father who simply sat there, head hanging down.

"Why don't you help me make some tea for your father?" He questioned with a smile, changing his course and bringing the child towards the kitchen instead.

Settling the little girl on top of the kitchen counter, he moved away to find the necessary utensils. It's sad to see something like this happening in this household. He had seen numerous times when this lovely father and child had spent their times laughing so beautifully, and seeing a situation like this happen, who wouldn't be sad? The thing that made him even sadder was that he might also be at fault for what just happened. "Are you okay Mr Carriedo?" A soft voice questioned from behind him.

Looking away from the kettle he had just settled on top of the stove, he glanced back towards the little girl. "Of course I'm okay, why?"

Silence filled the air as the child fiddled about with her fingers, her eyes drifting back and forth and finally landed at her father who stayed seated on the couch. His hands were gently scratching _España's _back as he whispered into the feline's ears. The cat seemed as though it was hanging onto every single word the Italian man said, purring and meowing as though responding to his whispers. His lips however had a sad smile on it, and it seems to have more bite than when he had that normal frown on his face. The whole scene seems to be filled with sadness and a bleak glow to it. "Carmen, are you afraid after seeing what had happened?"

The child simply kept silent, her eyes lingering at her father. All of a sudden, her eyes settled on the emerald orbs of the older Spaniard. Fear and shame glazed over her smaller ones. "Si."

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Kk I'm done with this chapter^^ wee hope you guys liked it~~ Please feel free to review and I didn't put in much Spanish and Italian words as I thought it might spoil the mood I was settling in for due to my lack of knowledge about the two languages. So yeaa~~ BYE BYE

psst... I don't own Hetalia^^


	11. Chapter 11

Hey hey! Lol it's been a seriously long time since I updated...o.o I'm sorry... I've been really busy. I had so many presentations I had to prepare and I just had no time to feel motivated to write. Anyway, I hope you guys don't mind and I hope you enjoy this chapter! It's been great fun writing this I don't know why!

Feel free to correct the Spanish/Italian words I used^^ Ahahha

Warning: Rated T cause I love using those words^^

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All he could possibly do is just grin and bear it. That's what his grandfather used to tell him. Simply grin and fucking bear it. "Any shit that comes your way, do just that and you'll be fine" he would say. What he never taught him was how much it hurts, how much pain he would have to bear to simply make his bloody lips curl up to mock a fucking smile. It never failed to surprise him whenever someone walked away from him. How they would turn their backs and leave him to rot in the middle of a dark room with little to no sunlight to conjure up even the smallest chance of hope. Well, all he has to do now is just follow those four words and he'll be fine. He got through many things by doing just that so who says it won't work now... right?

...

He could feel the tears pooling in his eyes as he looked down at the dough in front of him. Each of his hands grabbed a side of the lump and started kneading it, putting all his back muscles into the act. Satisfied with the result after a few strenuous pulls and turns, he carved out a simple design, threw it onto a tray and into the oven. Wiping off a slight tingling of an itch on his cheek, he failed to realize the clear streak of flour left in its place.

"What in the...?" A shocked voice mumbled behind him. Turning around, he noticed the wide emerald eyes looking all around him.

"Huh? What?" He felt slightly breathless, sparing a moment to wonder who it was until he noticed the man inching further into the kitchen.

"You opening up a bakery or something?" Antonio raised an eyebrow, sarcasm dripping off relentlessly from his comment while gesturing towards all the pastry and cakes lying on the kitchen counter.

"Oh wow aren't you a funny guy? Fucking har-har," Lovino muttered, wiping his hands clean with a dishcloth and looked around him. "I guess I did go a little bit too far."

"You think?" Antonio simply chuckled, grabbing a small muffin and stuffing his whole mouth with the stuff. "I've put Carmen to bed if you want to check up on her."

Feeling his heart clench at the name, he shook his head. "N-No, I don't think she would want me there."

The silence was thick as the Spaniard swallowed down the muffin with much difficulty. Lovino never intended it to be this awkward, but he couldn't help it. With a small sigh, he started piling the pastries and muffins onto one plate, the cake on another and another empty plate lies for the upcoming bread. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Sure, if you don't mind Lovi," Antonio answered with a smile playing about his lips.

Frowning at the nickname, Lovino knew it was simply fruitless to try and correct the man, so he didn't. Finally his eyes landed at the smile the man made. It seemed weird to him how someone could smile at him so freely like that, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy bubbling inside of him, but if people were to ask, he would deny it till the very end. With a small nod, he made for one of the cupboards with all the tea leaves and coffee powder. "Coffee or tea?"

"Coffee please, if you don't mind." Antonio smiled, leaning onto the counter full of pastry treats. Then he heard the man hum a soft tune, which Lovino assumed to be a Spanish lullaby. He couldn't help but felt a sense of longing towards his own homeland. He remembered the days when he was younger, there was a huge farm at the back of their old home where he would spend the days in silence and peace. Whenever something happened, that place would in no doubt calm him down. He wanted to recreate that sense of belonging to Carmen, but it doesn't seem to be working... nothing does. And not for the first time, Lovino heard a nagging voice at the back of his head...

"Are you okay?" With a blink, Lovino realized just how close the Spaniard stood. Their faces merely inches away, his emerald eyes portrayed a sense of curiosity and worry unlike others has made towards him before. He felt a warm finger touching his right cheek, and he couldn't help but lean in towards the touch. It's been so long since he felt this kind of warmth, a really long time. Not even Adela made a single effort to do so when they were together, probably that's why he knew they couldn't possibly last. Realizing what he was doing, Lovino recoiled from the man, his face heating up from embarrassment. "Sorry about that. "

"It's okay." The Spaniard grinned, before walking out of the kitchen. "I'll probably wait in the living room."

Shaking his head in dismay, he shook himself to get rid of all the lingering feelings. For now. With a tight lip, he pushed himself on forward to brew that cup of coffee. He tried his best to rid himself from the memories that persistently tries to push itself out into his head, but he could feel his resolve breaking and if that were to happen, he would like it very much for the Spaniard to not see him at that point of time. His hands were shaking by the time he had that cup of coffee brewed. It was just a simple touch, a simple warmth... So why is he reacting this way? It's as though that simple action the Spaniard did made a very slight but distinct crack on the walls he had formed in his head that locked away his past feelings, doubts, and memories.

"Fuck." He mumbled as he stood near the doorway towards the living room. He doesn't want to see the Spaniard at all. Not while he is like this, like... teetering off a fucking cliff. Unstable and insecure.

"Lovino? Are you okay?" A voice called out, near him. "The coffee is dripping."

Pulling back into his pathetic reality, he felt a slither of a burning sensation running down his fingers. With a short cry, he let go of the cup, followed by a loud shatter soon after that. "What the fuck?!" Lovino cried out as he held his scalded hand, glaring at the broken pieces of ceramic on the ground as though that would simply heal his hand.

"Don't move Lovi." Antonio commanded calmly as he wetted a piece of cloth he found lying around and handed it to him for the burn. After that he was knelt near him, picking up the larger pieces of broken ceramic and carefully placed them on another piece of cloth he had picked up as well along the way. " Where do you keep your broom?"

Before Lovino could speak, he heard a soft thudding of feet coming near the living room. "¿Qué pasó?" _(What happened?)_ Carmen's voice sounded breathless from the end of the room.

"Carmen cara mia, don't come near here please. Can you get the broom and the dustpan for us instead dolcezza?" _(My beloved/My dear... and Sweetie/Sweetness. I should stop using foreign words_) Lovino hurriedly warned her, the moment he saw her move closer. Seeing her nod and doing what she has been told, he felt assured and went to find a dry piece of cloth for the spill, still wary of the bits and pieces of ceramic still lying around.

...

Lovino had never felt more relieved at the fact that his flooring was wooden and that he had adamantly refused to buy any carpet before in the past when Feliciano had thought that it was wise to do so. It made the whole cleaning process a hell of a lot easier in this sorts of situations. By the time Carmen arrived, the coffee was all cleaned up as well as most of the broken pieces, which was thrown away ofcourse. All that was left were a few broken pieces which would still be too harmful to be left alone.

"Thank you Carmen." Lovino smiled as he took the two cleaning tools from his daughter. He felt his heart thud in sheer happiness as he saw the smile on his daughters' face.

"De nada papa!" Carmen answered sweetly before rushing off to Antonio who was lazily lounging on the sofa looking at them with a warm gentle look on his face. Smug bastard, Lovino thought to himself.

It didn't take long for him to clean up, and soon after that he saw her lying on the couch, head on the damned Spaniard's lap already asleep but surprisingly he felt no such jealousy or anger seeing the scene in front of him. "I see you spoke to her."

"About what?" Antonio simply smiled, humming a soft tune, which Lovino clearly remembered to be the same one he hummed in the kitchen previously, as he continued patting her shoulder gently.

"Don't act dumb. You know what." Lovino scowled as he narrowed his eyes at the man. It was then that he noticed the unbelievably blank and confused look the Spaniard had. "You have got to be joking me."

"I wish I was Lovi, but I really don't know what you're talking about." Antonio answered plainly, a blank look on his face still.

Suddenly he felt a bubble of laughter pouring out of his lips, his cheeks pulled up to a taut and his stomach clenched. However, that made the blank look on the man's face even more blank if that is even at any way possible which made Lovino laugh even harder.

...

Unfortunately, what Lovino didn't see was the fond smile Antonio had on then as he stared at the half-crying, half-laughing Italian in front of him. He had never seen the Italian laugh before, much less a proper smile. It was somewhat refreshing. He has a beautiful laugh, it's a wonder why he never used it before. He then looked at his fingers, where he tried to brush away the streak of flour Lovino had on his face previously. It came as a surprise when Lovino leaned towards the touch, but he accepted it without a fuss. It's not every day that a grumpy Italian man that he fancies does that. He decided to himself that it would be better not to talk about what happened as well, other than the fact that he might get seriously injured, he didn't want to see his Lovi all flustered. Okay, scratch that. He does want to see Lovi all flustered, but not when it might cost him his life.

Suddenly he felt Carmen move. It was a small movement but it was enough to notice that the child on his lap is waking up. "Lovi." He called out gently, pulling the child up into his arms.

"Ah...Sorry." The Italian finally calmed, hands still clutching his abdomen. "I'm done. Maybe you should put her to bed."

"No, you do it Lovi. You are her papa, si?" He countered as he pried the whining child off of him and gestured towards the man. "You take her to bed."

"But...," Lovino wanted to disagree but quickly changed his mind the moment he notice the discomfort on his child's face. With a sigh, he took her into his embrace and almost immediately, a small grin appeared on the child's face. With a short nod, the Italian went off towards her room.

Whistling the same tune as he had done before, he made his way into the kitchen and grinned at the countless amounts of food on the kitchen counter. As his eyes fell upon the cake, he smelled something burning in the kitchen. Sniffing around like an aimless dog, his attention finally reached the oven where he noticed something charred in the middle of one of the trays as clouds of smoke obscured the glass panel.

"Dios Mio!" Antonio cried out as he ran towards the oven and pulled open the cover, allowing the thick fumes to contaminate the air. With a rush, he sought out for anything that would be able to pull out the hot tray that was still in the oven.

After taking the tray out, he finally calmed down and took a deep breath. What he simply failed to hear, god knows how, is the smoke detector ringing endlessly as well as the raging Italian that was stomping towards him.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!"

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YAY! I'm done! ahahah LOl gosh... I'm so thankful that you stuck through this fanfic and there is still a continuation to this story as you may have guessed^^ Okay soo... I'll be going off now... Hoping to get the inspiration for the next chapter... soo yea...

Feel free to correct any parts of my Story! Review! Favourite it! Follow it! And don't forget... I LOVE YOU. BYE BYE

psst...I don't own Hetalia^^


	12. Chapter 12

Hey guys, I know you're unhappy that I never keep my promises... I should stop making them by the way ahaha. Okay so I want to cover a few things. Firstly, huge thanks to **Coin1996, liechtybakaribbon and BlueFeatherStar **for their reviews and enthusiastic comments^^ Love you guys ahhaa. Thanks to those who have read thus far and... I love all of you.

ANYWAYS! This chapter is going to be different. It is set in another date, before the whole Antonio and Lovino fiasco I had going on, between chapter 8 and 9. There is going to be a new POV in this chapter! I know a lot of you guys hate Adella, but she wasn't always a bitch. She just made the wrong decision. So, in this chapter, I'll bring her into a new light and I hope you guys like it!

WARNING: Kinda OOC of Lovino but come on, there's a child!

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Before she went away, things were already falling apart between them. It was just over a year ago when they started to drift apart. They argued every single time they meet in the morning, shouting at the top of their lungs and will only stop after the same cry from their daughter. It was as though they were a recording that had broken after many years of misuse. Repeating the same shit every single day. Soon after that, they never spoke to one another. Not even a single blink was made towards the others direction. Lovino comes by her house in the morning, gives her a small nod and they turn to do their own things. Lovino playing and chatting with Carmen, while Adella does her best to hide the sweet whispers she made towards another man on her phone. It was as obvious as the sun during the day but Lovino did nothing. What could he possibly do?

But it wasn't like that before. It was a rough ride still but it wasn't that bad. There were days when they were at each other's throats but there were days where they spent it like any other normal couple. Those were the days when Lovino's hopes soared high. When he thought that " Yeah, probably this relationship could work after all." Those days were the fondest of his memories despite all that had happened. How he would play it all over again in his head whenever he had time to spare, with Carmen's small head resting on his chest as she slept during their peaceful afternoon naps. There is one memory in particular, in which he would smile and laugh to himself every single time he relives it in his head. One memory in particular made him thought that probably living with Adella won't be so bad...

!~~~ 5 Years Ago. ~~~~!

"It's as simple as 1-2-3 Lovi. Come on, you can do this."

"You're seriously comparing this to numbers? " Lovino raised a single eyebrow as he looked up towards his lover, mocking a bitch face while trying but failing to keep his smile to himself. " By the way, insulting me won't help."

"If insulting you won't help, what about this?" She leaned in towards the Italian, a sly smile on her face. Lovino stilled as he felt her hot breath on the nape of his neck, wondering with utmost curiosity. "Idiot."

"What the fuu-"

"Nah-ah-ah... No cursing in front of our baby." Adella simply giggled, as she tickled the still naked baby causing the little infant to burst out with small little fits of laughter. "See, your father is such an old fart! Isn't he Carmen? Isn't he?"

"Now that just doesn't make sense idiot and don't call me an old fart in front of Carmen! If that's what she calls me, you are so going to get it from me." Lovino muttered with much less bite than expected.

"Get what? A doggy?" She laughed as she dodged away from his grabbing hands.

"I'm going to get her to call you Grandma," Lovino gave her a smug smile before leaning towards the giggling baby. "Now isn't she one of the most wrinkly old woman you've ever seen, bella mia?"

"How dare you!" Adella shrieked as she playfully punched him on the shoulder. With a soft smile lingering on her lips, she finally placed her hands on her waist with a new set of determination. "Come on Lovi, finish it up. I think Carmen's becoming uncomfortable."

Nodding his head anxiously, Lovino took a deep breath and did as he was instructed. The smell was slightly unbearable but he took it with indifference, except for a little twitch at the corner of his eye. It took him longer than he had expected but the success still lingers in his heart. Picking the infant of only 8 months old up from the table, he took in the fresh powdery smell coming from the child. She looks clean and fresh, and also clearly satisfied with the new set of diapers.

"There you go! Now wasn't that as easy as-"

"Don't start Adella." Lovino smiled as he leaned the child's head on his shoulder and then gave her a small peck on the lips. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She grinned as she cleared away the mess from the table.

...

As Lovino stood by the kitchen counter, cutting up some potatoes and putting them into the blender for their growing girl, he could hear the soft giggles of his child. Lovino started to wonder where all that cuteness Carmen has came from, and after a few minutes of thinking, Lovino was ninety-five percent sure it isn't from him. With a small snicker, Lovino poured the pureed sweet potatoes into a bowl. Currently they're on a trial-and-error stage with Carmen's food, trying to figure out which ones she likes best. For a small kid that can't even talk, she's unbelievably picky. The last time they gave her something she didn't like, it ended up on the front of his shirt.

With a hopeful look on his face, Lovino brought the food out towards the living room. It took him by surprise that the first thing he saw, was her standing. Hands on the couch to steady her shaky limbs and a wide smile clear on her face. She seemed overjoyed for a little girl who doesn't understand the true meaning of her success. "Oh mio dio, you're standing bella mia!"

-TEEHEE-

Hearing the gleeful tone in Papa's voice, she started for him. She pulled away from the couch and found herself struggling on her own two feet. Her eyes dropped down to where a part of her body touches the cool ground. It seems small. Every part of her seems so small. Why is that? Looking at Papa's feet, they look so big. Why is that? Mama's feet look big as well.

"Carmen!" That word. She heard Mama call her that countless of times, even Papa. Whenever they say that, they will always smile at her. Even when they say things very loudly to each other, they smile whenever they say that word. So, hearing Papa call out that word, she instantly turned to look at him. His eyes are wide, like the food Mama sometimes eat but the colour is that of something that Mama call "Chokat".

Papa's arms were wide open, and she knows what that means. Papa want hug! Papa and Mama always does that when they want hug. With a short cry of joy, she couldn't help but put her hands together. It makes a wonderful noise, it makes her happy! Whenever she feels happy, she puts her hands together many times and Mama will always follow with her.

"Carmen! Come here il mio amore!" Papa's voice called out again. His hands were patting his legs and were then opened up towards her once more. It repeated a couple of times before she decided that Papa probably want hug badly. With a smile, she brought her leg forward only to feel it wobbling after that. She want it to stop but it wouldn't. She felt her leg give way below her before she is caught by gentle hands.

Turning sideways, she sees Mama smiling. "Try again Cariño! Go on! Go to Papa!"

She always liked it whenever she sees Mama smile. Mama looks pretty when Mama smiles. "Papa go." She muttered clumsily as she was placed back on her own two feet. Her legs are still shaking but she held still. All she did was look down at her two feet and see it move itself one at a time. She took one more step before suddenly her legs gave way again but before she hit the hard ground, a pair of arms came up and wrapped around her, pulling her up into the air. "You did it Carmen! You walked!"

"I'm so proud of you!" She felt herself twirling about, air flowing all around her, tingling every part of her body before she felt a warm heat engulf her whole body. As she looked around, she saw Mama and Papa both hugging her, laughing and smiling.

"Good job bella mia!"

"Well done Carmen!"

Seeing the smiles on their faces, she knows that they are happy. She probably did good! If they are happy, she's happy! She started putting her hands together in joy as she giggled and bounced about in Papa's arms. "Carmen goo-job!"

-TEEHEE-

Still high from the excitement, Lovino stopped himself from twirling and handed her to her mother, who gladly brought her into her arms and hugged the daylights out of the child. "Are you hungry Carmen?"

"Si!" She giggled once more as she wrapper her small arms around her mother's neck.

"What did you make for her?" Adella questioned as she stood next to Lovino near the dinner table, gently placing the child onto her high chair.

"Some pureed potatoes, nice and simple but it'll give her all the nutrients she need to walk as much as she probably will in the future." Lovino answered, gently thumbing the soft cheek of his small child. "She's going to be a handful."

"Si. I agree with that." Adella answered, however softly. Something in her tone pulled back his attention towards her.

Her eyes were glistened with worry as she looked over her child. As she bit her bottom lip to stop it from quivering, Lovino could read her like a book. With a small smile, he simply pulled her into his arms and gently rested her head on his shoulder. Rubbing the small of her back, he whispered into her ear. "It's okay. I'll be with you every step of the way Adella. You won't have to take care of her all by yourself."

After a few soft sniffles, she gave him a soft peck on the cheek before finally letting go. "Thanks Lovi."

...

"Papa? What are you smiling about?" Carmen lifted her head from her father's lap, a weary look on her face.

"Nothing, I just remembered something." Lovino answered softly, combing through her thick hair with his fingers.

"Oh." She muttered as she looked down onto the floor before looking back at him with a curious glint in her eyes. "What about?"

"Hmm..., let's just say it's about me having to change a certain someone's diapers when she was very, very little." Lovino grinned as he patted the child's head.

Hearing that, Carmen instantly pouted as she stubbornly folded her arms. "I have never used diapers!"

"Oh sure, keep thinking that." He chuckled as Carmen merely puffed out her cheeks and stuck out her tongue.

Once they quietened down, Carmen leaned onto him. Her face covered by her own strands of hair. A quiet sob escaped her lips. "Extraño a mi mama." (I miss my mama.)

"Yo también," (Me too.) He gathered her into his embraced and gently patted her back. "Tienes sueño?" (Are you sleepy?)

"Si." She whispered, wrapping her arms around the older man's neck as she was carried to her bedroom.

It isn't wrong for one to miss their mother. It doesn't matter whether the mother had made the right or even the wrong choices throughout their entire lives. One's blood can never change and Lovino can respect that. He really misses her too. For many reasons, not only one...

* * *

So how was it? ahaha I've been researching so much about kids I feel as though I'm about to have one myself! I tried to make Carmen's POV work by putting it into a mindset of a child. Hopefully all those psychology lessons I went through paid off...

Anyways, hope you guys liked it. Feel free to correct any of the Italian or Spanish used. Reviews is much appreciated~ BYE BYE

psst... I don't own Hetalia^^


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